Solomon Islands national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Solomon Islands women's national football team.

Quick facts for kids
Solomon Islands

Nickname(s)

Bonitos

Association

Solomon Islands Football Federation

Confederation

OFC (Oceania)

Head coach

Josh Smith

Captain

Joses Nawo

Most caps

Henry Fa'arodo (64)

Top scorer

Commins Menapi (34)

Home stadium

National Stadium,
Lawson Tama Stadium

FIFA code

SOL

First colours

Second colours

FIFA ranking

Current

143

1 (7 February 2019)

Highest

120 (October 2007, April 2008)

Lowest

200 (January–March 2016)

Elo ranking

Current

160

3 (3 March 2019)

Highest

109 (September 2005)

Lowest

177 (November 2016)

First international

Solomon Islands 6–3 New Hebrides

(Suva, Fiji; 30 August 1963)

Biggest win

Solomon Islands 16–0 Cook Islands

(Papeete, Tahiti; 21 August 1995)

Biggest defeat

Tahiti 18–0 Solomon Islands

(Suva, Fiji; 8 December 1963)

OFC Nations Cup

Appearances

8 (first in 1980)

Best result

Runners-up (2004)

Melanesia Cup/MSG Prime Minister's Cup

Appearances

9 (first in 1988)

Best result

Melanesia Cup: Champions
(1994)
MSG Prime Minister's Cup: Champions
(2023)

The Solomon Islands men's national football team represents the Solomon Islands in international football. They are managed by the Solomon Islands Football Federation. The team started in 1978 and was officially recognized by FIFA in 1988. They are often called the Bonitos.

Team History and Achievements

The Solomon Islands team has played in many important tournaments. They have shown great spirit in their matches.

Early World Cup Qualifiers

In 2004, the team played in the Oceania World Cup qualification. They had a great 2–2 draw against Australia. This helped them move to the next stage. However, Australia won the next two matches with scores of 5–1 and 6–0. Australia then went on to the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.

In September 2005, the Solomons got another chance against Australia. The winner would play for a spot in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Australia won the first game 7–0. In the second game, played at home, Australia won 2–1.

Recent Tournament Journeys

The team started well in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They won all their group games. But they were knocked out after losing to New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

In 2012, the Solomon Islands hosted the 2012 OFC Nations Cup. This tournament was also a qualifier for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They finished fourth after reaching the knockout stage. They beat Papua New Guinea and drew with Fiji and New Zealand. They lost to Tahiti in the semi-final. Tahiti scored the only goal. They then lost to New Zealand in the third-place playoff. In the final round of World Cup qualifying, the team finished last in their group. They only won one game against Tahiti.

In 2019, the team went on a three-week training trip to the Netherlands. This helped them improve their skills.

In June 2023, the Solomon Islands played friendly matches against Singapore and Malaysia. They also won the 2023 MSG Prime Minister's Cup. They beat Papua New Guinea (3–1), Vanuatu (1–0), and New Caledonia (1–0). Raphael Lea'i was the top scorer in the tournament with four goals.

Coaching Leadership

Felipe Vega-Arango from Spain coached the team twice. His first time was in 2017. He returned for his second time in June 2021.

Team Look and Sponsors

Kit Sponsors Over Time

The team has had different kit sponsors. These are the companies that provide their uniforms.

Kit Supplier	Period
Lotto	2004–2013
Bocini	2014
OFC	2015
None	2016
Veto	2017
UCAN	2019–2022
SUNAIS	2022–2024
Veto	2024–

Team Sponsors

The team also has other sponsors who help support them.

Lotto
Telekom
Capo Apparel

Recent Matches and Schedule

Here are some of the recent games the Solomon Islands team has played.

Win Draw Loss Fixture

Matches in 2024

15 June 2024 OFC Nations Cup	Solomon Islands	0–1	Vanuatu	Port Vila, Vanuatu
15:00 UTC+11			Tangis 72'	Stadium: Freshwater Stadium Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Veer Singh (Fiji)

18 June 2024 OFC Nations Cup	New Zealand	3–0	Solomon Islands	Port Vila, Vanuatu
12:00 UTC+11	Waine 6', 11' Barbarouses 45+4'			Stadium: Freshwater Stadium Attendance: 3,000 Referee: David Yareboinen (Papua New Guinea)

21 June 2024 OFC Nations Cup	New Caledonia	Cancelled	Solomon Islands	Port Vila, Vanuatu
12:00 UTC+11				Stadium: Freshwater Stadium
Note: On 5 June 2024, New Caledonia withdrew from the 2024 OFC Nations Cup due to the serious crisis in the country.

2 September Friendly	Fiji	1–0	Solomon Islands	Suva, Fiji
19:00 UTC+12	Warainivalu 81' (pen.)			Stadium: HFC Bank Stadium

5 September Friendly	Solomon Islands	0–3	Hong Kong	Suva, Fiji
19:00 UTC+12			Juninho 22' Matt Orr 45+1' (pen.) Wong Wai 47' (pen.)	Stadium: HFC Bank Stadium Referee: Torika Delai (Fiji)

10 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Solomon Islands	0–1	Fiji	Suva, Fiji
19:00 UTC+12			Krishna 13'	Stadium: HFC Bank Stadium Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Norbert Hauata (Tahiti)

14 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Solomon Islands	2–3	New Caledonia	Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
13:00 UTC+10	Lea'i 9' Wae 39'		Athale 6' (pen.), 59' (pen.) Waia 69'	Stadium: PNG Football Stadium Referee: Calvin Berg (New Zealand)

17 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Papua New Guinea	1–2	Solomon Islands	Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
16:00 UTC+10				Stadium: PNG Football Stadium

9 December 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup	Solomon Islands	4–1	Vanuatu	Honiara, Solomon Islands
15:00 UTC+11	Boyers 22' (pen), 48.' Keana 30', 79'		Nicolas King 52'	Stadium: Lawson Tama Stadium

12 December 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup	Solomon Islands	2–0	Solomon Islands B	Honiara, Solomon Islands
15:00 UTC+11				Stadium: Lawson Tama Stadium

18 December 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup	Papua New Guinea	3–2	Solomon Islands	Honiara, Solomon Islands
16:00 UTC+11				Stadium: Lawson Tama Stadium

21 December 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup	Solomon Islands	1–3	Fiji	Honiara, Solomon Islands
18:00 UTC+11				Stadium: Lawson Tama Stadium

Team Staff and Coaches

Current Coaching Staff

This table shows the people who currently coach and manage the team.

Position	Name
Head coach	Josh Smith
Assistant coach	Moses Toata
Goalkeeper coach	Tibon Oge
Kit Manager	Augustine Hou
Team Manager	Dixion Lauia Anga

Past Coaches

Many coaches have led the Solomon Islands team over the years.

Wim Rijsbergen was a manager for the Solomon Islands in 2019.

Edward Ngara (1995–1996)
Wilson Maelaua (1996)
George Cowie (2000–2003)
Alan Gillett (2004–2005)
Airton Andrioli (2006–2009)
Jacob Moli (2010–2014)
Moses Toata (2015–2016)
Felipe Vega-Arango (2017–2018)
Moses Toata (2018–2019)
Wim Rijsbergen (2019)
Stanley Waita (2020–2021)
Felipe Vega-Arango (2021–2024)
Eddie Marahare (2024)
Jacob Moli (2024)
Moses Toata (2024)
Josh Smith (2024–)

Team Players

Current Team Members

These players were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Fiji on October 10, 2024.

The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of October 10, 2024, after the match against Fiji.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1GK	Philip Mango	(1995-08-28) August 28, 1995 (age 29)	45	0	Central Coast
1GK	Michael Laulae	(2002-05-20) May 20, 2002 (age 23)	4	0	Henderson Eels
1GK	Harold Nauania	(1997-10-10) October 10, 1997 (age 27)	2	0	Real Kakamora

2DF	Javin Wae	(2002-11-17) November 17, 2002 (age 22)	20	0	Campbelltown City
2DF	Leon Kofana	(2002-06-22) June 22, 2002 (age 23)	21	0	Rewa
2DF	David Supa	(2000-12-21) December 21, 2000 (age 24)	14	0	Central Coast
2DF	Calvin Ohasio	(2000-04-05) April 5, 2000 (age 25)	12	0	Central Coast
2DF	Junior David	(2001-09-22) September 22, 2001 (age 23)	10	0	Central Coast
2DF	Alick Stanton	(1998-05-25) May 25, 1998 (age 27)	9	0	Central Coast

3MF	Atkin Kaua	(1996-04-04) April 4, 1996 (age 29)	40	5	Laugu United
3MF	William Komasi	(2000-06-10) June 10, 2000 (age 25)	21	1	Adelaide Omonia Cobras
3MF	Don Keana	(2000-09-09) September 9, 2000 (age 24)	6	0	Waneagu United
3MF	Carlos Liomasia	(1994-09-17) September 17, 1994 (age 30)	2	0	Tailevu
3MF	Ben Fox	(2001-07-06) July 6, 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Marist
3MF	Jared Rongosulia	(1995-11-06) November 6, 1995 (age 29)	0	0	Navua
3MF	Paul Francis	(2004-09-05) September 5, 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Real Kakamora

4FW	Micah Lea'alafa	(1991-06-01) June 1, 1991 (age 34)	28	8	Vipers FC
4FW	Alvin Hou	(1996-09-18) September 18, 1996 (age 28)	25	7	Solomon Warriors
4FW	Raphael Lea'i	(2003-09-09) September 9, 2003 (age 21)	22	11	Wollongong Wolves
4FW	Bobby Leslie	(2000-03-03) March 3, 2000 (age 25)	12	2	Central Coast
4FW	Mohammad Mekawir	(2000-07-27) July 27, 2000 (age 25)	7	0	Navua

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been part of the team in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Junior Petua	(2003-12-30) December 30, 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Honiara City	v. Fiji, 20 March 2024
GK	Timothy Mae'arasia	(1995-06-19) June 19, 1995 (age 30)	2	0	Solomon Warriors	2023 Pacific Games

DF	Prince Tahanipue	(1995-01-13) January 13, 1995 (age 30)	10	0	Central Coast	v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024
DF	Loea Taisara	(1989-06-02) June 2, 1989 (age 36)	3	0	Solomon Warriors	v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024
DF	Allen Peter	(1995-09-11) September 11, 1995 (age 29)	18	0	Solomon Warriors	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
DF	Steven Koti	(2000-06-10) June 10, 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Kossa	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
DF	Hadisi Aengari	(1988-10-23) October 23, 1988 (age 36)	44	0	Solomon Warriors	v. Fiji, 20 March 2024

MF	Tigi Molea	(1992-09-24) September 24, 1992 (age 32)	11	3	Solomon Warriors	v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024
MF	Marlon Tahioa	(1998-11-28) November 28, 1998 (age 26)	9	0	Central Coast	v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024
MF	Hudson Oreinima	(1988-07-24) July 24, 1988 (age 37)	2	0	Central Coast	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
MF	Hadyn Irodao	(2002-10-29) October 29, 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Central Coast	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
MF	Molis Gagame	(1989-09-21) September 21, 1989 (age 35)	14	0	Kossa	v. Fiji, 20 March 2024

FW	Joses Nawo	(1988-05-03) May 3, 1988 (age 37)	55	8	Real Kakamora	v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024
FW	Dalton Saeni	(2002-10-14) October 14, 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Marist	v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024
FW	Gagame Feni	(1992-08-21) August 21, 1992 (age 32)	35	19	Kossa	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
FW	Junior Fordney	(1999-11-26) November 26, 1999 (age 25)	1	0	Central Coast	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
FW	Norman Ngafu	(1997-07-16) July 16, 1997 (age 28)	1	0	Marist	2023 Pacific Games^PRE

Player Records and Stats

These tables show the players who have played the most games and scored the most goals for the Solomon Islands.

Most Games Played

Henry Fa'arodo has played the most games for the Solomon Islands, with 64 appearances.

Players in bold are still playing for the Solomon Islands team.

Rank	Name	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Henry Fa'arodo	64	20	2002–2017
2	Joses Nawo	56	8	2011–present
3	Benjamin Totori	52	29	2007–2019
4	Atkin Kaua	47	6	2016–present
5	Philip Mango	45	0	2016–present
6	Hadisi Aengari	44	0	2011–present
7	Nelson Sale Kilifa	37	0	2004–2017
8	Commins Menapi	36	34	2000–2007
8	Batram Suri	36	14	1995–2005
10	Gagame Feni	35	19	2012–present

Top Goal Scorers

Players in bold are still playing for the Solomon Islands team.

Rank	Name	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Commins Menapi	34	36	0.94	2000–2007
2	Benjamin Totori	29	52	0.56	2007–2019
3	Henry Fa'arodo	20	64	0.31	2002–2017
4	Gagame Feni	19	35	0.54	2012–present
5	Batram Suri	14	36	0.39	1995–2005
6	Raphael Lea'i	12	27	0.44	2022–present
7	Noel Berry	10	15	0.67	1995–2000
8	Micah Lea'alafa	9	31	0.29	2016–present
9	John Orobulu	8	16	0.5	2018–present
9	Joses Nawo	8	56	0.14	2011–present

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup Participation

The Solomon Islands team has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times. They have not yet made it to the main tournament.

FIFA World Cup									FIFA World Cup qualification
Year	Host	Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1986		Not a FIFA member							Not a FIFA member
1990	Italy	Did not enter							Did not enter
1994	United States	Did not qualify							1st Round	4	0	1	3	5	13
1998	France								2nd Round	8	3	3	2	22	23
2002	South Korea Japan								1st Round	4	2	0	2	17	10
2006	Germany								2nd	11	6	2	3	24	16
2010	South Africa								SF	6	4	0	2	23	6
2014	Brazil								4th	9	2	2	5	7	22
2018	Russia								2nd	9	4	1	4	10	16
2022	Qatar								2nd	3	2	0	1	6	8
2026	Canada Mexico United States								2nd Round	3	1	0	2	4	5
2030	Morocco Portugal Spain	To be determined							To be determined
2034	Saudi Arabia	To be determined							To be determined							To be determined	To be determined
Total		—	–	–	–	–	–	–	0/9	60	24	9	27	122	126	To be determined	To be determined

OFC Nations Cup History

The team has competed in the OFC Nations Cup, which is a major tournament for teams in Oceania.

Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1973	Did not enter									Did not enter
1980	Group stage	8th	3	0	0	3	3	21	N/A	No qualification
1996	Semi-finals	3rd	2	0	0	2	1	3	Squad	4	4	0	0	10	1
1998	Did not qualify									4	2	1	1	8	7
2000	Third place	3rd	4	2	0	2	7	10	Squad	4	2	1	1	10	9
2002	Group stage	6th	3	0	1	2	3	9	Squad	Qualified automatically
2004	Runners-up	2nd	7	3	1	3	10	17	Squad	4	3	1	0	14	1
2008	Did not qualify									6	4	0	2	23	6
2012	Fourth place	4th	5	1	2	2	5	6	Squad	Qualified automatically
2016	Semi-finals	3rd	4	1	0	3	2	4	Squad
2024	Group stage	6th	2	0	0	2	0	4	Squad
Total	Runners-up	8/11	30	7	4	19	31	74	—	22	15	3	4	65	24

Pacific Games Performance

The Solomon Islands team has also done well in the Pacific Games, winning several medals.

Pacific Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1963	Fourth place	4th	3	1	0	2	6	26
1966	Group stage	6th	2	0	1	1	4	12
1969	Sixth place	6th	5	0	1	4	8	19
1971	did not enter
1975	Bronze medal	3rd	4	2	1	1	9	8
1979	Bronze medal	3rd	5	4	0	1	24	5
1983	Group stage	10th	3	1	0	2	0	11
1987	did not enter
1991	Silver medal	2nd	5	4	1	0	12	3
1995	Silver medal	2nd	6	4	0	2	34	10
2003	Group stage	5th	4	2	1	1	14	4
2007	Fourth place	4th	6	4	0	2	23	6
2011	Silver medal	2nd	7	5	0	2	21	6
2015	See Solomon Islands national under-23 football team
2019	Group stage	7th	5	2	1	2	30	9
Total	Runners-up	12/15	55	29	6	20	185	119

Team Honours and Awards

Major Football Competitions

OFC Nations Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2004
- Third place (1): 2000

Regional Tournaments

Pacific Games
- Silver medal (4): 1991, 1995, 2011, 2023
- Bronze medal (2): 1975, 1979
Melanesia Cup
- Champions (2): 1994, 2023
- Runners-up (2): 1988, 2000
- Third place (3): 1989, 1992, 1998

Special Awards

OFC Nations Cup Fair Play Award: 2012

Summary of Wins

Competition				Total
OFC Nations Cup	0	1	1	2
Total	0	1	1	2