Samoa National Women’s team are now preparing for the 2017 Oceania Football Confederation U19 Women’s Championship in New Zealand next week.

Eighteen players to represent Samoa were officially announced yesterday.

They are; Katarina Ah Siu, Renee Atonio, Hunter Malaki, EpiTafili, Mariecamilla Ah Ki, Atonina Tanuvasa, Rachel Tagatauli, Lianna Sisifo, Tiana Sekona, Shalom Fiso, Matalena Fa’asavalu, Talaisea Mulitalo, Mole Saofaiga, Emele Elizabeth, Natiflo Pereira, Zuella Vatu, Vineta Louise and Jecky Pili.

 “At the moment we are selecting eighteen players and five of them are from overseas, Hawaii, Australia and United States and most of the players are from Samoa,” saidHead Coach, Martin Tamasese.

The team will depart Samoa for New Zealand this Saturday.

“Our first game will be on Tuesday the 11th against New Caledonia; the  second game is with Tonga on the Friday the 14th;  we play Fiji on Monday 17th; New Zealand on Friday the 21st, and our last game will be on the 24th against Papua New Guinea. 

“The girls are ready now and we are looking forward to give it our all.

The championship will be played as a round-robin competition from July 11-24 at Ngahue Reserve in Auckland, New Zealand to determine Oceania’s representative nation to the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in France.

According to reports, this year Samoa’s under 19 will have large shoes to fill after 2015s earned their highest placing in the nations’ history finishing runner’s up behind New Zealand.

As older players moved into the senior players women’s football aged group, spaces have been filled by players last year’s Under 17 team including goal keeper, Jecky Toma and Under-17 captain Shalom Fiso.

The six nations competing for this year’s OFC U19 Women’s Championship include, New Caledonia, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea  and Tonga.