World's worst football team, American Samoa, wins at last
Brazil here we come: ten years after losing 31-0, US territory wins World Cup qualifier
THE WORST team in international football, American Samoa, has finally won a game at the 31st attempt and after 17 years of trying.
The team, joint bottom of the Fifa rankings in 204th place, overcame Pacific neighbours Tonga in a qualifier for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. And although the US island territory is unlikely to progress much further down the road to Rio, the win was heralded as a huge breakthrough.
American Samoa's footballers achieved notoriety in 2001 when they lost 31-0 to Australia, the heaviest defeat in international football history.
That was just one of the 30 matches they have lost since making their debut on the international scene in 1994. Their overall goal record read 12 for and 229 against before they went into this week’s match.
But against Tonga, it all came good. They somehow managed to eke out a 2-1 win, after which coach Thjmas Rongen said that the result would "go around the world".
Rongen, a former MLS coach who took over earlier this year, says he has spoken to media from America, Australia and Europe after the triumph. He paid tribute to goal scorers Ramin Ott and Shalom Luani and also to veteran goalkeeper Nicky Salapu, one of the survivors of the infamous game against Australia.
It's not known whether the local commentator signed off by announcing: "They'll be dancing in the streets of Pago Pago tonight", but news of the side's win was greeted by wild celebrations according to local reports.
Next up for American Samoa is the mighty Cook Islands. Their opponents may only boast a population of 15,000 against the US territory's 55,000 but they are ranked eight places above them in the Fifa rankings, at the dizzying heights of 196th. ·
