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East Timor national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see East Timor women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
East Timor
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Lafaek (The Crocodiles)
O Sol Nascente
(The Rising Sun)
Association Federação de Futebol de Timor-Leste
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach Simón Elissetche
Captain Anizo Correia
Most caps Anggisu Barbosa (30)
Top scorer Rufino Gama (7)
Home stadium Municipal Stadium of Dili
FIFA code TLS
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 196 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 146 (June 2015)
Lowest 206 (October 2012)
Elo ranking
Current 227 Decrease 1 (3 March 2019)
Highest 214 (November 2015)
Lowest 230 (November 2016)
First international
 Sri Lanka 3–2 East Timor 
(Colombo, Sri Lanka; 21 March 2003)
Biggest win
 Cambodia 1–5 East Timor 
(Yangon, Myanmar; 5 October 2012)
Biggest defeat
 East Timor 0–10 Saudi Arabia 
(Dili, Timor Leste; 17 November 2015)
AFC Solidarity Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2016)
Best result Group stage (2016)
AFF Championship
Appearances 3 (first in 2004)
Best result Group Stage (2004, 2018, 2020)

The East Timor national football team, also known as Timor-Leste by FIFA, is the official football team for the country of East Timor. It is managed by the Federação de Futebol de Timor-Leste (FFTL). East Timor became a member of FIFA on September 12, 2005.

The team played its first international matches in March 2003. They competed in the qualification rounds for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. In these early games, they lost to Sri Lanka (3–2) and Chinese Taipei (3–0). They also took part in the 2004 AFF Championship, a big football event in Southeast Asia. Even though they weren't a full member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) yet, they were invited to join.

East Timor celebrated their first international win on October 5, 2012. They beat Cambodia with a great score of 5–1!

History of East Timor Football

Early Years (2003–2017)

Football has been played in East Timor since the time it was a Portuguese colony. Locals and Portuguese officials enjoyed playing amateur games. After Portugal left, Indonesia took over, leading to a long struggle for independence. East Timor finally became an independent country in 2002.

The East Timor Football Federation joined the AFC as an associate member in 2002. Their first international games were in March 2003, trying to qualify for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup in China. As a new team, they faced tough losses against teams like Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei. In 2004, they played in the 2004 AFF Championship for the first time as an invited team. They finished last, showing they had a lot to learn to compete in the region.

They also struggled in the 2007 AFF Championship qualification, losing badly in four matches, including a 7–0 defeat by the Philippines. However, in the 2008 AFF Championship qualification, East Timor surprised everyone by drawing a game against Cambodia. This achievement was even reported in international news!

First Big Win

For the 2012 AFF Championship qualification, East Timor's football federation (FFTL) brought in players who played in other countries like Brazil, Portugal, and Australia. This was to make the team stronger, just like they did for the 2011 SEA Games.

Coach Emerson Alcantara
Emerson Alcântara led East Timor to their first ever international win, a 5–1 victory over Cambodia in 2012.

On October 5, 2012, East Timor achieved their first international victory! They won 5–1 against Cambodia. Goals were scored by Murilo de Almeida (who scored twice), Adelino Trindade, and Alan Leandro. A few days later, on October 9, 2012, they won another match against Laos in the qualification round. Murilo de Almeida scored a penalty, Adelino Trindade added a header, and Alan Leandro scored the third goal. After this second win, coach Emerson Alcântara said it was a victory for the people of East Timor, bringing them pride and motivation. Even with these wins, East Timor lost to Brunei 2–1 and finished third in their group, just missing out on qualifying for the 2012 AFF Championship.

In the 2014 AFF Championship qualification, East Timor beat Brunei 4–2. They also managed a surprising 0–0 draw against Myanmar on October 14, 2014. However, these results weren't enough to qualify for the 2014 AFF Championship.

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

East Timor took part in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification first round against Mongolia. On March 12, 2015, they won 4–1 at their home stadium, their first win against a team from outside Southeast Asia. They then won the second game 1–0 in Mongolia, moving forward to the next round. However, later on, FIFA changed the results of both matches to 3–0 wins for Mongolia due to some issues with player eligibility. Even so, East Timor had already played in the second round.

In the second round, East Timor was in a group with strong teams like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, and Malaysia. On June 11, 2015, Ramon Saro scored a goal in the last moments of the game, earning East Timor their first point in the campaign with a 1–1 draw against Malaysia. On October 8, 2015, playing at home, Ramon Saro scored again, giving them a lead against Palestine. Palestine later equalized, making it another 1–1 draw. This result got a lot of attention in Southeast Asia.

Due to issues with player eligibility, East Timor had to forfeit some of their group matches. Also, their home stadium in Dili didn't meet FIFA standards, so they had to play their "home" matches in other countries. This meant they finished at the bottom of their group. For the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification, East Timor played their home match against Malaysia in Malaysia.

East Timor also participated in the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup in Malaysia, where they drew 0–0 with Nepal. They were also invited to the 2017 CTFA International Tournament. In a match against the Philippines, Silveiro Garcia scored the only goal, giving East Timor a win in the tournament.

Recent Tournaments (2018–Present)

East Timor qualified for the 2018 AFF Championship for the first time in 14 years by beating Brunei 3–2 on aggregate in the qualification round. Because their home stadium's floodlighting wasn't finished, they played their "home" matches in other countries. For example, they played against Thailand in Bangkok and against the Philippines in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They also automatically qualified for the 2020 AFF Championship because Brunei withdrew from the play-off round.

In a match on September 5, 2024, for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round, João Pedro made history by scoring three goals (a hat-trick) in a 4–1 win against Mongolia. This game was played in Bali, Indonesia.

Team Look and Home Ground

Kit Manufacturers

The team's jerseys and gear are made by different companies.

Period Manufacturer
2008–2010 Japan Tiger
2012 United States Nike
2013–2014 United Kingdom Mitre
2015–2017 Singapore Kubba Sportswear
2018–2024 Indonesia Narrow
2024– Indonesia Oliver Sports

From 2014 to 2017, Kubba Sportswear made their kits. Since 2018, an Indonesian company called Narrow makes their kits. The home kit is red shirts, black shorts, and red socks. The away kit is all white. In the past, their away kits were yellow, but they changed back to white.

Home Stadium

East Timor's main home ground is the National Stadium of East Timor in Dili. It can hold 5,000 people. The first official match played there was a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification game against Mongolia on March 12, 2015. After November 17, 2015, East Timor stopped playing home matches at this stadium because it didn't meet FIFA standards. They now use other stadiums in Asia as neutral grounds.

Timor Leste national football team home stadiums
Image Stadium Capacity Location Last match
Timor Leste Nacional Stadion
National Stadium of East Timor
 National Stadium of East Timor 13,000 Dili v   Saudi Arabia
(17 November 2015; 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification)

Neutral Venues Used by the Team

Because their home stadium sometimes doesn't meet international standards, East Timor often plays their "home" matches in other countries. Here are some of the stadiums they have used:

Timor Leste neutral home stadiums
Image Stadium Capacity Location Last match
National Stadium Bukit Jalil 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup final
Bukit Jalil National Stadium
 Bukit Jalil National Stadium 87,411 Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia v   Malaysia
(11 June 2019; 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification)
The Main Stadium for 2009 World Games panorama
Kaohsiung National Stadium
 Kaohsiung National Stadium 55,000 Zuoying, Kaohsiung, Taiwan v   Chinese Taipei
(17 October 2023; 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification)
Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok
Rajamangala Stadium
 Rajamangala Stadium 51,552 Bang Kapi, Bangkok, Thailand v   Thailand
(9 November 2018; 2018 AFF Championship)
Stadium Larkin
Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium
 Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium 30,000 Larkin, Johor Bahru, Malaysia v   Malaysia
(6 June 2016; 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification)
Aerial View of Kuala Lumpur Stadium
Kuala Lumpur Stadium
 Kuala Lumpur Stadium 18,000 Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia v   Philippines
(17 November 2018; 2018 AFF Championship)
Stadion Dipta
Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium
 Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium 18,000 Gianyar Regency, Bali, Indonesia v   Mongolia
(5 September 2024; 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – play-off round)
Track & Field Sports Complex 01
Track & Field Sports Complex
 Track & Field Sports Complex 1,700 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei v   Brunei
(8 November 2022; 2022 AFF Championship qualification)

Recent Matches and Future Games

Main article: Timor-Leste national football team results

Here are the results from the last 12 months and any games planned for the future.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Coaching Staff

Here are the people who help coach and manage the East Timor national football team:

Position Name
Technical director Chile Óscar Araya
Head coach Chile Simón Elissetche
Assistant coach Chile Francisco Ocampos
Goalkeeping coach Chile Enrique Zapata
Physiotherapist Chile Carlos Ortigoza
Media Officer Chile Néstor Lozano
Administrator Chile Jorge Guevara
Official Chile Martín Hurtado
Kitman Chile Javier Mosquera

Coaching History

Many coaches have led the East Timor team over the years:

Players

Current Squad

These are the players who were chosen for the 2024 ASEAN Championship qualification matches on October 8 and 15, 2024, against  Brunei.

  • Caps and goals are correct as of: October 15, 2024, after the match against  Brunei
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Georgino Mendonça (2002-03-16) 16 March 2002 (age 23) 2 0 Cambodia Life FC
12 1GK Natalino Soares (2000-12-25) 25 December 2000 (age 24) 1 0 East Timor Karketu Dili
20 1GK Junildo Pereira (2003-06-04) 4 June 2003 (age 22) 13 0 East Timor Assalam
2 2DF Almerito (1993-09-24) 24 September 1993 (age 31) 1 0 East Timor Assalam
4 2DF Aniso Boavida (2003-07-01) 1 July 2003 (age 21) 1 0 East Timor Lica-Lica Lemorai
5 2DF João Panji (2003-03-02) 2 March 2003 (age 22) 14 0 East Timor Assalam
11 2DF Zenivio (2005-04-22) 22 April 2005 (age 20) 11 1 Singapore Tanjong Pagar United
18 2DF Sandro Quintão (2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 (age 22) 1 0 East Timor Emmanuel
19 2DF Yohanes Gusmão (2000-04-01) 1 April 2000 (age 25) 12 0 East Timor Ponta Leste
22 2DF Francisco da Costa (1995-04-15) 15 April 1995 (age 30) 2 0 East Timor Assalam
23 2DF Aniso Correia (captain) (2003-05-23) 23 May 2003 (age 22) 12 0 South Korea Pyeongchang United
3 3MF José de Andrade (1999-12-20) 20 December 1999 (age 25) 0 0 East Timor Ponta Leste
6 3MF Jhon Frith (2002-07-17) 17 July 2002 (age 22) 15 2 Cambodia ISI Dangkor Senchey
8 3MF Claudio Osorio (2002-09-26) 26 September 2002 (age 22) 4 0 Unattached
14 3MF Kornelis Nahak (2001-01-12) 12 January 2001 (age 24) 6 0 East Timor SLB Laulara
15 3MF Santiago da Costa (1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 (age 26) 5 0 East Timor Lalenok United
16 3MF Freteliano (2004-08-09) 9 August 2004 (age 20) 5 0 East Timor Emmanuel
7 4FW Elias Mesquita (2002-03-27) 27 March 2002 (age 23) 14 0 Brunei Indera
9 4FW Olagar Xavier (2003-05-18) 18 May 2003 (age 22) 9 0 Bhutan Thimphu City
10 4FW João Pedro (1998-06-24) 24 June 1998 (age 26) 17 5 Cambodia Angkor Tiger
13 4FW Alexandro Bakhito (2006-05-01) 1 May 2006 (age 19) 2 0 East Timor SLB Laulara
17 4FW Mário Quintão (2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 21) 6 0 East Timor Emmanuel
21 4FW Gali Freitas (2004-12-31) 31 December 2004 (age 20) 13 2 Indonesia PSIS Semarang

Recent Call-ups

These players were called up for recent matches but might not be in the current squad.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Pablo de Jesus (2005-09-19) 19 September 2005 (age 19) 0 0 East Timor Ponta Leste v.  Mongolia, 10 September 2024
DF Filomeno Junior (1998-06-21) 21 June 1998 (age 26) 21 0 Unattached v.  Mongolia, 10 September 2024
DF Orcelio (2001-04-30) 30 April 2001 (age 24) 6 0 East Timor Karketu Dili v.  Mongolia, 10 September 2024
FW Mouzinho (2002-06-26) 26 June 2002 (age 22) 12 3 Unattached v.  Mongolia, 10 September 2024

Past Squads

  • 2004 Tiger Cup squad
  • 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup squad
  • 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup squad
  • 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup squad

Player Records

See also: Timor-Leste national football team records and statistics

Players whose names are in bold are still playing for East Timor.

Most Appearances (Games Played)

These players have played the most games for East Timor:

Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Anggisu Barbosa 30 4 2008–2016
2 Adelino Trindade 27 3 2010–2018
3 José Fonseca 26 0 2010–2017
4 Henrique Cruz 25 3 2015–2018
5 Nataniel Reis 23 1 2014–2018
6 Eusebio de Almeida 22 0 2007–2015
Rufino Gama 22 7 2016–2022
Nelson Viegas 22 1 2016–2022
9 Filomeno Junior 21 0 2018–present
10 Ramos Maxanches 20 0 2014–2016
Filipe Oliveira 20 0 2014–2017

Top Goalscorers

These players have scored the most goals for East Timor:

Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Rufino Gama 7 22 0.33 2016–2022
2 Murilo de Almeida 6 7 0.86 2012–2014
3 João Pedro 5 18 0.28 2018–present
4 Chiquito do Carmo 4 16 0.25 2010–2016
Anggisu Barbosa 4 30 0.13 2008–2016
6 Adélio Guterres 3 4 0.75 2006–2007
Alan Leandro 3 5 0.6 2012
Mouzinho 3 12 0.25 2019–present
Emilio da Silva 3 12 0.25 2004–2012
Henrique Cruz 3 25 0.12 2015–2018
Adelino Trindade 3 27 0.11 2010–2018

Competition Records

Main article: Timor-Leste national football team results

FIFA World Cup History

East Timor has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup several times.

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Result Position Pld W D* L F A Pld W D L F A
1930 to 1974 Part of  Portugal Part of  Portugal
1978 to 1998 Part of  Indonesia Part of  Indonesia
South Korea Japan 2002 Not a FIFA member yet Not a FIFA member yet
Germany 2006 Did not enter Did not enter
South Africa 2010 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 3 11
Brazil 2014 2 0 0 2 1 7
Russia 2018 10 2 2 6 7 37
Qatar 2022 2 0 0 2 2 12
Canada Mexico United States 2026 2 0 0 2 0 7
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be decided To be decided
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 0/6 – – – – – – 18 2 2 14 13 74

AFC Asian Cup History

The team has also tried to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup.

AFC Asian Cup AFC Asian Cup qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1956 to 1972 Part of  Portugal Part of  Portugal
1976 to 1996 Part of  Indonesia Part of  Indonesia
Lebanon 2000 Did not exist as an independent nation Did not exist as an independent nation
China 2004 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 2 6
2007 to 2015 Did not enter Did not enter
United Arab Emirates 2019 Did not qualify 14 2 2 10 9 47
Qatar 2023 Disqualified 2 0 0 2 2 12
Saudi Arabia 2027 To be decided 4 1 0 3 4 10
Total — — – – – – – – 21 3 2 16 17 73

AFC Solidarity Cup History

This is a special tournament for teams that didn't qualify for the AFC Asian Cup.

AFC Solidarity Cup
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Malaysia 2016 Group stage 6th 2 0 1 1 0 4
Total Group stage 1/1 2 0 1 1 0 4

ASEAN Championship History

East Timor has played in the ASEAN Championship, a big tournament for Southeast Asian teams.

ASEAN Championship record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF A
Singapore 1996 Part of Indonesia Indonesia Part of  Indonesia
Vietnam 1998
Thailand 2000 Under United Nations United Nations Under United Nations United Nations
Indonesia Singapore 2002
Malaysia Vietnam 2004 Group stage 9th 4 0 0 4 2 18 No qualification
Singapore Thailand 2007 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 5 17
Indonesia Thailand 2008 4 0 1 3 4 9
Indonesia Vietnam 2010 3 0 0 3 3 15
Malaysia Thailand 2012 4 2 0 2 10 6
Singapore Vietnam 2014 4 1 1 2 6 7
Myanmar Philippines 2016 3 0 0 3 4 7
ASEAN 2018 Group stage 10th 4 0 0 4 4 19 2 1 0 1 3 2
Singapore 2020 10th 4 0 0 4 0 13 Opponents withdrew
ASEAN 2022 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 3 6
ASEAN 2024 Qualified 2 1 1 0 1 0
Total Group stage 3/14 12 0 0 12 6 50 28 6 3 19 39 68

Lusofonia Games History

East Timor has also competed in the Lusofonia Games, a sports event for Portuguese-speaking countries.

Jogos da Lusofonia
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Macau 2006 Group stage 9th 0 0 0 2 0 10
Portugal 2009 Did not enter
India 2014
Total Group stage 1/3 0 0 0 2 0 10
Lusofonia Games
Date Venue Opponents Score Year
4 October 2006 Macau University of Science and Technology Sports Field  Mozambique U-20 0–5 2006 Lusofonia Games
6 October 2006  Angola U-20 0–5

Head-to-Head Record Against Other Teams

See also: Timor-Leste national football team records and statistics

This table shows how East Timor has played against different national teams. As of October 8, 2024

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Brunei 11 4 0 7 16 25 −9 12
2  Cambodia 9 1 2 6 17 23 −6 5
3  Chinese Taipei 6 0 0 6 3 17 −14 0
4  Hong Kong 2 0 0 2 3 11 −8 0
5  Indonesia 6 0 0 6 2 21 −19 0
6  Laos 7 1 0 6 9 18 −9 3
7  Malaysia 7 0 1 6 3 25 −22 1
8  Mongolia 4 3 0 1 9 4 +5 9
9  Myanmar 4 0 1 3 2 7 −5 1
10    Nepal 4 0 2 2 3 9 −6 2
11  [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]] 2 0 1 1 1 8 −7 1
12  Philippines 8 1 0 7 5 29 −24 3
13  Saudi Arabia 2 0 0 2 0 17 −17 0
14  Singapore 2 0 0 2 1 8 −7 0
15  Sri Lanka 1 0 0 1 2 3 −1 0
16  Thailand 3 0 0 3 0 17 −17 0
17  United Arab Emirates 2 0 0 2 0 9 −9 0
Source: Results

Images for kids

  • Coach Emerson Alcantara

    Emerson Alcântara led East Timor to their first ever international win, a 5–1 victory over Cambodia in 2012.

  • Timor Leste Nacional Stadion

    National Stadium of East Timor

  • National Stadium Bukit Jalil 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup final

    Bukit Jalil National Stadium

  • The Main Stadium for 2009 World Games panorama

    Kaohsiung National Stadium

  • Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok

    Rajamangala Stadium

  • Stadium Larkin

    Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium

  • Aerial View of Kuala Lumpur Stadium

    Kuala Lumpur Stadium

  • Stadion Dipta

    Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium

  • Track & Field Sports Complex 01

    Track & Field Sports Complex

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Timor Oriental para niños

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