Solomon Islands national football team
| Nickname | Bonitos | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) | ||
| Confederation | OFC (Oceania) | ||
| Head coach | vacant | ||
| Captain | Joses Nawo | ||
| Most caps | Henry Fa'arodo (64) | ||
| Top scorer | Commins Menapi (34) | ||
| Home stadium | National Stadium, Lawson Tama Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | SOL | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 152 (19 January 2026)[1] | ||
| Highest | 120 (October 2007, April 2008) | ||
| Lowest | 200 (January–March 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 | 11 (first in 1988) | ||
| Best result | Melanesia Cup: Champions (1994) MSG Prime Minister's Cup: Champions (2023) | ||
The Solomon Islands men's national football team is the national football team of Solomon Islands, administered by the Solomon Islands Football Federation. The Solomon Islands national football team was founded in 1978. They were officially recognised by FIFA a decade later, in 1988.[3]
History
During the 2004 Oceania World Cup qualification/Oceania Cup the team drew 2–2 with Australia and qualified for the second leg. In the second leg, the Solomon Islands national men's team were thrashed by Australia 5–1 and 6–0 in the two matches, with Australia qualifying for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.
The Solomons got a second chance against the Socceroos in a two-legged series in September 2005, this time with the winner advancing to a two-legged series against CONMEBOL's fifth-place finisher for a berth in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and the team was thrashed by Australia 7–0 on the first leg and 2–1 in the second played at home.
The Solomons were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup – having got off to a good start winning every game in their qualifying group and comfortably progressing to the knockout rounds, defeats to New Caledonia and then to Vanuatu saw them knocked out of the competition.
In 2012, the Solomon Islands held the 2012 OFC Nations Cup which was also the second round of World Cup qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup where they finished in fourth place after qualifying through to the knockout stage by defeating Papua New Guinea and having draws against Fiji and New Zealand. They lost in the semi-final after they lost to the champions Tahiti after Jonathan Tehau scored the only goal. They later lost to New Zealand in the third-place playoff. The third round of World Cup qualifying saw the team finish bottom of the group after only taking one win against Tahiti.
After first taking charge of the team in 2017, Spaniard Felipe Vega-Arango was appointed for his second stint in June 2021.[4]
In 2019, they went on a three-week training tour in Netherlands.[5]
In June 2023, Solomon Islands played their friendly match against Southeast Asia countries, Singapore and Malaysia. Solomon Island won the 2023 MSG Prime Minister's Cup after winning against Papua New Guinea (3–1), Vanuatu (1–0) and New Caledonia (1–0) as Raphael Lea'i clinch the golden boots as the tournament top scorer with four goals.
Team image
Kit sponsorship
| Kit lier | Period |
|---|---|
| Lotto | 2004–2013 |
| Bocini | 2014 |
| OFC | 2015 |
| None | 2016 |
| Veto | 2017 |
| UCAN | 2019–2022 |
| SUNAIS | 2022–2024 |
| Veto | 2024– |
Sponsors
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
| 9 December 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup | Solomon Islands | 4–1 | Vanuatu | Honiara, Solomon Islands |
| 15:00 UTC+11 | 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 |
2025
| 13 November 2025 MSG Prime Minister's Cup | Papua New Guinea | 1–0 | Solomon Islands | Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea |
| 16:00 UTC+10 |
|
Report | Stadium: PNG Football Stadium |
| 20 November 2025 MSG Prime Minister's Cup semi-final | Vanuatu | 2–1 | Solomon Islands | Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea |
| 19:00 UTC+10 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: PNG Football Stadium |
| 22 November 2025 MSG Prime Minister's Cup third place match | Fiji | 1–1 Abandoned | Solomon Islands | Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Report | Stadium: PNG Football Stadium |
2026
| 27 March 2026 FIFA Series | Bulgaria | v | Solomon Islands | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| 15:30 UTC+7 | Stadium: Gelora Bung Karno Stadium |
| 31 March 2026 FIFA Series | Indonesia /Saint Kitts and Nevis | v | Solomon Islands | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| 15:30 UTC+7/20:00 UTC+7 | Stadium: Gelora Bung Karno Stadium |
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Josh Smith[6] |
| Assistant coach | Moses Toata[6] |
| Goalkeeper coach | Tibon Oge |
| Kit Manager | Augustine Hou |
| Team Manager | Dixion Lauia Anga |
Coaching history
- Caretaker managers are listed in italics.
- Edward Ngara (1995–1996)
- Wilson Maelaua (1996)
- George Cowie (2000–2003)
- Alan Gillett (2004–2005)
- Airton Andrioli (2006–2009)
- Jacob Moli (2010–2014)[7]
- Moses Toata (2015–2016)[8]
- Felipe Vega-Arango (2017–2018)
- Moses Toata (2018–2019)
- Wim Rijsbergen (2019)
- Stanley Waita (2020–2021)
- Felipe Vega-Arango (2021–2024)
- Eddie Marahare (2024)[9]
- Jacob Moli (2024)[9]
- Moses Toata (2024)[6]
- Josh Smith (2024–2026)[6]
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification against Fiji on 10 October 2024.[10]
Caps and goals correct as of 10 October 2024, after the match against Fiji.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Philip Mango | 28 August 1995 | 45 | 0 | Solomon Kings | |
| GK | Michael Laulae | 20 May 2002 | 4 | 0 | Henderson Eels | |
| GK | Harold Nauania | 10 October 1997 | 2 | 0 | Real Kakamora | |
| DF | Javin Wae | 17 November 2002 | 20 | 0 | Solomon Kings | |
| DF | Leon Kofana | 22 June 2002 | 21 | 0 | PNG Hekari | |
| DF | David Supa | 21 December 2000 | 14 | 0 | Solomon Kings | |
| DF | Calvin Ohasio | 5 April 2000 | 12 | 0 | Central Coast | |
| DF | Junior David | 22 September 2001 | 10 | 0 | Solomon Kings | |
| DF | Alick Stanton | 25 May 1998 | 9 | 0 | Central Coast | |
| MF | Atkin Kaua | 4 April 1996 | 40 | 5 | Solomon Kings | |
| MF | William Komasi | 10 June 2000 | 21 | 1 | Solomon Kings | |
| MF | Don Keana | 9 September 2000 | 6 | 0 | Solomon Kings | |
| MF | Carlos Liomasia | 17 September 1994 | 2 | 0 | Tailevu | |
| MF | Ben Fox | 6 July 2001 | 1 | 0 | Solomon Kings | |
| MF | Jared Rongosulia | 6 November 1995 | 0 | 0 | Navua | |
| MF | Paul Francis | 5 September 2004 | 0 | 0 | Real Kakamora | |
| FW | Micah Lea'alafa | 1 June 1991 | 28 | 8 | Vipers FC | |
| FW | Alvin Hou | 18 September 1996 | 25 | 7 | Solomon Warriors | |
| FW | Raphael Lea'i | 9 September 2003 | 22 | 11 | Solomon Kings | |
| FW | Bobby Leslie | 3 March 2000 | 12 | 2 | Solomon Kings | |
| FW | Mohammad Mekawir | 27 July 2000 | 7 | 0 | Navua | |
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up within the last twelve months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Junior Petua | 30 December 2003 | 0 | 0 | Solomon Kings | v. Fiji, 20 March 2024 |
| GK | Timothy Mae'arasia | 19 June 1995 | 2 | 0 | Solomon Warriors | 2023 Pacific Games |
| DF | Prince Tahanipue | 13 January 1995 | 10 | 0 | Central Coast | v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024 |
| DF | Loea Taisara | 2 June 1989 | 3 | 0 | Solomon Warriors | v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024 |
| DF | Allen Peter | 11 September 1995 | 18 | 0 | Solomon Warriors | 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup |
| DF | Steven Koti | 10 June 2000 | 0 | 0 | Kossa | 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup |
| DF | Hadisi Aengari | 23 October 1988 | 44 | 0 | Solomon Warriors | v. Fiji, 20 March 2024 |
| MF | Tigi Molea | 24 September 1992 | 11 | 3 | Solomon Warriors | v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024 |
| MF | Marlon Tahioa | 28 November 1998 | 9 | 0 | Central Coast | v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024 |
| MF | Hudson Oreinima | 24 July 1988 | 2 | 0 | Solomon Kings | 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup |
| MF | Hadyn Irodao | 29 October 2002 | 0 | 0 | Central Coast | 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup |
| MF | Molis Gagame | 21 September 1989 | 14 | 0 | Kossa | v. Fiji, 20 March 2024 |
| FW | Joses Nawo | 3 May 1988 | 55 | 8 | Real Kakamora | v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024 |
| FW | Dalton Saeni | 14 October 2002 | 0 | 0 | Marist | v. Hong Kong, 5 September 2024 |
| FW | Gagame Feni | 21 August 1992 | 35 | 19 | Solomon Kings | 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup |
| FW | Junior Fordney | 26 November 1999 | 1 | 0 | Solomon Kings | 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup |
| FW | Norman Ngafu | 16 July 1997 | 1 | 0 | Marist | 2023 Pacific GamesPRE |
Player records
- As of 22 November 2025[11]
- Players in bold are still active with Solomon Islands.
Most appearances
| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Fa'arodo | 64 | 20 | 2002–2017 |
| 2 | Joses Nawo[a] | 55 | 8 | 2011–present |
| 3 | Benjamin Totori | 52 | 29 | 2007–2019 |
| 4 | Atkin Kaua[b] | 48 | 6 | 2016–present |
| 5 | Hadisi Aengari | 44 | 0 | 2011–present |
| Philip Mango[a] | 44 | 0 | 2016–present | |
| 7 | Nelson Sale Kilifa | 37 | 0 | 2004–2017 |
| Batram Suri | 37 | 15 | 1992–2005 | |
| 9 | Commins Menapi | 36 | 34 | 2000–2007 |
| 10 | Gagame Feni | 35 | 19 | 2012–present |
Top goalscorers
| 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 | 15 | 37 | 0.41 | 1992–2005 |
| 6 | Raphael Lea'i[c] | 12 | 30 | 0.4 | 2022–present |
| 7 | Noel Berry | 10 | 15 | 0.67 | 1995–2000 |
| 8 | Micah Lea'alafa[a] | 9 | 31 | 0.29 | 2016–present |
| 9 | John Orobulu[a] | 8 | 16 | 0.5 | 2018–present |
| Joses Nawo[a] | 8 | 55 | 0.15 | 2011–present |
- ^ a b c d e Also appeared in one match against an international 'B' side in the MSG Prime Minister's Cup, however this is not recognised as an official match by FIFA.
- ^ Also appeared in two matches against international 'B' sides in the MSG Prime Minister's Cup, however these are not recognised as official matches by FIFA.
- ^ Lea'i also appeared in two matches, scoring one goal, against international 'B' sides in the MSG Prime Minister's Cup, however these are not recognised as official matches by FIFA.
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1930 | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | ||||||||||||||
| 1934 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1938 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1950 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1954 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1958 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1962 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1966 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1970 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1974 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1982 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Did not qualify | 1st Round | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 13 | ||||||||
| 1998 | 2nd Round | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 23 | |||||||||
| 2002 | 1st Round | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2006 | 2nd | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 16 | |||||||||
| 2010 | SF | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 6 | |||||||||
| 2014 | 4th | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 22 | |||||||||
| 2018 | 2nd | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 16 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | |||||||||
| 2026 | 2nd Round | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| 2034 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/23 | – | – | – | – | – | – | — | 60 | 24 | 9 | 27 | 122 | 126 | |
OFC Nations Cup
| 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
| 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 |
Wantok Cup
- 2008 (July, 1st edition) – First place
Head-to-head record
Updated 20 November 2025 after the match against Vanuatu
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | WPCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 1 | +39 | 100.00 |
| Australia | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 55 | −47 | 0.00 |
| Chinese Taipei | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Cook Islands | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2 | +35 | 100.00 |
| Fiji | 44 | 8 | 16 | 20 | 47 | 79 | −32 | 18.18 |
| Guam | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | +22 | 100.00 |
| Hong Kong | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Kiribati | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 100.00 |
| Macau | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 100.00 |
| Malaysia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0.00 |
| New Caledonia | 29 | 11 | 3 | 15 | 35 | 58 | −23 | 37.93 |
| New Zealand | 14 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 52 | −41 | 0.00 |
| Papua New Guinea | 26 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 44 | 34 | +10 | 57.69 |
| Samoa[a] | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | +21 | 100.00 |
| Singapore | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Tahiti | 24 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 26 | 76 | −50 | 20.83 |
| Tonga | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | +31 | 100.00 |
| Tuvalu | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | +28 | 100.00 |
| Vanuatu[b] | 37 | 23 | 7 | 7 | 82 | 40 | +42 | 62.16 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | +22 | 100.00 |
| Total | 219 | 93 | 37 | 89 | 475 | 414 | +61 | 42.47 |
Honours
Continental
Regional
Awards
Summary
| Competition | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OFC Nations Cup | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Historical kits
References
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Member Association – Solomon Islands". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "Solomon Islands appoint new coach". 23 June 2021. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Historic training camp in Netherlands wrap-up". siff.com.sb. 5 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d "New Head Coach Sets Ambitious Path Ahead". SFF. 1 September 2024.
- ^ "FIFA.com". 23 June 2007. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007.
- ^ "Solomons search for new coach". Oceania Football Confederation. 29 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ^ a b "MOLI APPOINTED FOR NATIONS CUP 2024". SIFF. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ "Squad Announcement". Facebook. Solomon Islands Football Federation. 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Solomon Islands". National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
Further reading
- Sarkar, Uttiyo (4 June 2023). "Hero Intercontinental Cup Rival Watch: Vanuatu". khelnow.com. Khel Now India. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.