Saint Helena football team

The Saint Helena football team represents the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. Saint Helena is not affiliated with FIFA but is a member of the International Island Games Association.

Saint Helena

Association	Saint Helena Football Association
Head coach	Nick Stevens
Captain	Rico Benjamin
Most caps	Rico Benjamin Ronan Legg (5)
Top scorer	Rico Benjamin (4)
First colours Second colours
First international
Ynys Môn 7–2 Saint Helena  (Bryn Du, Anglesey; 12 June 2019)
Biggest win
Saint Helena  2–0 Holyhead Hotspur Football Club
Biggest defeat
Guernsey 9–0 Saint Helena  (Holyhead, Anglesey; 18 June 2019)
Island Games
Appearances	2 (first in 2019)
Best result	Tenth place (2019)

Saint Helena played their first match in 1949 and made their international debut at the 2019 Inter Games Football Tournament. They also competed at the 2023 Island Games in Guernsey. They have only ever won one match – a 2–0 win in a friendly against Holyhead Hotspur reserves.

History

The Saint Helena Football Association was formed in 1922.^[1] However, a football team representing the island wasn't picked until 1949. They played a friendly match in England against Lockheed Leamington in November 1949 and lost 15–3.^[2]

The team in June 2019

The Saint Helena Island Games Association were founder members of the International Island Games Association in 1985 allowing the island to compete from the inaugural 1985 Island Games held on the Isle of Man.^[3] It would be another 70 years before a Saint Helena team would reappear. The team had hoped to compete at the 2011 Island Games held on the Isle of Wight but were unable to raise the funds needed. However, they were able to raise the £80,000 needed to compete at the 2019 Inter Games Football Tournament.^[4]

In the build-up to the competition, the team played two friendlies, defeating Holyhead Hotspur reserves 2–0 and losing 7–2 to Ynys Môn.^[5][6] At the tournament, Saint Helena lost their twi group stage matches 6–1 against Shetland and 9–0 against Guernsey. Despite an equalising goal from Rico Benjamin, Saint Helena also lost their ninth-place play-off.^[7]

Saint Helena were finally able to make their Island Games debut at the 2023 Island Games in Guernsey. They lost all three of their group stage matches before losing 4–2 to Frøya in the 15th-place play-off.^[8]

Results

Saint Helena's score first.

Date	Competition	Venue	Opponent	Score
12 Nov 1949	Friendly	Windmill Ground, Leamington	Lockheed Leamington	3–15
10 June 2019	Friendly	Bangor	Holyhead Hotspur reserves	2–0
12 June 2019	Friendly	Anglesey	Ynys Môn	2–7
16 June 2019	2019 Inter Games Football Tournament	Bryn Du, Anglesey	Shetland	1–6
18 June 2019	2019 Inter Games Football Tournament	Holyhead, Anglesey	Guernsey	0–9
20 June 2019	2019 Inter Games Football Tournament	Bryn Du, Anglesey	Western Isles	1–2
9 July 2023	2023 Island Games	Saint Sampson, Guernsey	Menorca	0–5
10 July 2023	2023 Island Games	Saint Sampson, Guernsey	Gozo	0–3
11 July 2023	2023 Island Games	Saint Sampson, Guernsey	Jersey	0–5
13 July 2023	2023 Island Games	Saint Martin, Guernsey	Frøya	2–4

Historical kits

In home

2019 Home

2019 Away

2023 Home

2023 Away

Sources:^[9][10][11]