Alopua Petoa
|
File:Alopua Petoa.jpg Petoa lining up for Tuvalu in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 January 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Nauru | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Tofaga[1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2012 | Tofaga | 22+ | (32+) |
| 2012 | Brabantia | ||
| 2013–2014 | Waitakere City | ||
| 2014–2018 | Tofaga | ||
| 2019 | Nanumaga[1] | ||
| 2020– | Tofaga[1] | (9+) | |
| International career | |||
| 2011–2019 | Tuvalu | 13 | (9) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Alopua Petoa (born 24 January 1990) is a footballer who plays as a forward for FC Tofaga. Born in Nauru, he represented the Tuvalu national team and is their all-time top scorer.[2]
Early life
[edit | edit source]Born in Nauru, Petoa started playing football at the age of ten before becoming a naturalized Tuvalu citizen and joining Vatokami in 2005 which would change its name to FC Tofaga the same year.[citation needed]
Club career
[edit | edit source]
Alopua Petoa was the top scorer in the Tuvalu A-Division competition in 2012 and joint top scorer with James Lepaio in 2021.
In 2012, Petoa was discovered by Dutch manager Foppe de Haan and signed for Dutch side Brabantia along with Vaisua Liva, initially training with their reserve team.[3]
In 2013, he signed for New Zealand side Waitakere City with Vaisua Liva, becoming the first professional Tuvaluan players in history.[4]
International career
[edit | edit source]Petoa has been regarded as one of the best players in Tuvalu and is the all-time top scorer of the Tuvalu national team.[5]
On 22 August 2011, Petoa debuted for the Tuvalu national team during a 3–0 win over Samoa, scoring a hat-trick in what was Tuvalu's first international match in four years and their highest victory in history.[6]
In 2013 Petoa was called for a tour with Tuvalu football Team that took place in the Netherlands where he scored.[citation needed]
On 8 June 2018 at the CONIFA World Football Cup in London, Petoa scored two goals, putting Tuvalu ahead of Tamil Eelam, only for their opponents to stage a dramatic comeback in stoppage time to win 4–3.[7]
Style of play
[edit | edit source]Petoa mainly operates as a striker and is known for his dribbling.[8]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Petoa had not been in a plane until he arrived in the Netherlands to sign for Dutch side Brabantia.[5]
Career statistics
[edit | edit source]International
[edit | edit source]- As of match played 18 July 2019.[9]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuvalu | 2011 | 5 | 6 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 13 | 9 | |
- Scores and results list Tuvalu's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Petoa goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 August 2011 | Fiji |  Samoa |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2–0 | |||||
| 3 | 3–0 | |||||
| 4 | 27 August 2011 | Stade Rivière Salée, Nouméa, New Caledonia |  American Samoa |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2011 Pacific Games |
| 5 | 3–0 | |||||
| 6 | 4–0 | |||||
| 7 | 5 December 2017 | Korman Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu |  New Caledonia |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2017 Pacific Mini Games |
| 8 | 15 December 2017 | Port Vila Municipal Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu |  Tonga |
3–3 | 4–3 | 2017 Pacific Mini Games |
| 9 | 12 July 2019 | National Soccer Stadium, Apia, Samoa | American Samoa |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2019 Pacific Games |
CONIFA goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 June 2018 | Gander Green Lane, Sutton, England |  Tamil Eelam |
1–0 | 3–4 | 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup |
| 2 | 3–1 |
References
[edit | edit source]
- ^ a b c Alopua Petoa at National-Football-Teams.comLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).