Tuvalu A-Division

The Tuvalu A-Division or The National Provident Fund Championship League (NPF) is the top football division in Tuvalu. The league is organised by the Tuvalu National Football Association. Eight of the nine islands in Tuvalu are represented in the league. Niulakita is the only island that has no football club. Matches are held at the 1,500-capacity Tuvalu Sports Ground in Funafuti,^[1] the only football field on the main island.^[2]

Tuvalu A-Division

Founded	1980
Country	Tuvalu
Confederation	OFC
Number of clubs	8
Level on pyramid	1
Domestic cup(s)	NBT Cup Independence Cup Christmas Cup Tuvalu Games
Current champions	Nauti FC (2023)
Most championships	Nauti FC (26)
Current: 2023 Tuvalu A-Division

The league was founded in 2001. There is also the Tuvalu B-Division which is composed of reserve squads from each of the A-Division teams as well as several other teams.^[3]

A C-Division has also featured occasionally though have only competed in secondary leagues or knockout competitions such as the NBT cup or MEYS (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports) Cup and mostly featured B and C teams of A-Division sides.^[4][5][6]

The major titles in Tuvalu are the Independence Cup (held to recognise the independence of Tuvalu), the NBT Cup (sponsored by The National Bank of Tuvalu), the Christmas Cup, and the football competition at the Tuvalu Games.^[7]

Taganoa Cup

Teams in the A-division also compete for the Taganoa Cup. No separate matches are played for this trophy. Instead, teams compete concurrently for the trophy during their league matches. For a team to take ownership of the cup, they must defeat the present holders during a league game. They then become the defending holders until they lose a league match themselves. Whichever team is in possession of the trophy at the end of the season is crowned champions. The first Taganoa Cup competition was held in 2021 and was won by FC Tofaga.^[7]

Clubs

Nauti FC have won the A-Division title more times than every other Tuvaluan team combined

As well as having squads in the Tuvalu B-Division, many A-Division teams also have a women's team which play in the A-Division Women's League^[8] and other competitions.^[9] In 2019, FC Tofaga and Nauti FC entered an 'A1 and 'A2' team into the A-Division league.^[10] Nauti did this again in 2020.^[11]

Club	Island
Lakena United	Nanumea
Manu Laeva	Nukulaelae
Nanumaga	Nanumanga
Nauti	Funafuti
Tamanuku	Nukufetau
Tofaga	Vaitupu
Nui	Nui
Niutao	Niutao

Previous winners

Tuvalu League Tournament Year Winner Island 1980 Nauti FC Funafuti 1981 Nauti FC Funafuti 1982 Nauti FC Funafuti 1983 Nauti FC Funafuti 1984 Nauti FC Funafuti 1985 Nauti FC Funafuti 1986 Nauti FC Funafuti 1987 Nauti FC Funafuti 1988 Nauti FC Funafuti 1989 Nauti FC Funafuti 1990 Nauti FC Funafuti 1991–1997 not held 1998 Unknown 1999 2000

Tuvalu A-Division Year Winner Island 2001 FC Niutao Niutao 2002 FC Niutao Niutao 2003 FC Niutao Niutao 2004 Lakena United Nanumea 2005 Nauti FC Funafuti 2006 Lakena United Nanumea 2007 Nauti FC Funafuti 2008 Nauti FC Funafuti 2009 Nauti FC Funafuti 2010 Nauti FC Funafuti 2011 Nauti FC Funafuti 2012 Nauti FC Funafuti 2013 Nauti FC Funafuti 2014 Nauti FC Funafuti 2015 Nauti FC Funafuti 2016 Nauti FC Funafuti 2017 FC Manu Laeva Nukulaelae 2018 FC Manu Laeva Nukulaelae 2019 Nauti FC Funafuti 2020 Nauti FC Funafuti 2021 F.C. Tofaga Vaitupu 2022 Nauti FC Funafuti 2023 Nauti FC Funafuti

Number of wins

Wins	Club	Winning Year(s)
26	Nauti FC	2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
3	FC Niutao	2001, 2002, 2003
2	Lakena United	2004, 2006
2	FC Manu Laeva	2017
1	F.C. Tofaga	2021

Source^[12]

Goalscorer statistics

Top goalscorers

Pos.	Player	Goals
1	James Lepaio	30
2	Alopua Petoa	19

Top goalscorers by season

Season	Player	Team	Goals
2011	Starzle	Manu Laeva	6
	Siopepa Tailolo	Lakena United
	Lutelu Tiute	Tofaga
2012	Alopua Petoa	Tofaga	10
2013	Mase Tumua	Nauti	4
2019	James Lepaio	Tofaga	15
2020	Hosea Sente	Nauti	8
2021	Alopua Petoa	Tofaga	5
	James Lepaio

Multiple hat-tricks

Key
(4)	Player scored 4 goals
(5)	Player scored 5 goals
(6)	Player scored 6 goals

Note: The source of the following information (rsssf.com) does not state goalscorers in some seasons. Therefore, this list is almost certainly not exhaustive.

Player	For	Against	Score	Date	Ref.
Matakai Alesana(4)	Tofaga	Nui	4–1	4 February 2012	[citation needed]
Alopua Petoa(4)	Tofaga	Lakena United	6–0	3 March 2012
Alopua Petoa(6)	Tofaga	Niutao	7–1	17 March 2012
Tupou	Manu Laeva	Nauti A2	4-1	20 April 2019	[10]
Meauma Petaia(4)	Tamanuku	Niutao	5-3
Eliata	Lakena United	Tofaga A2	1-13
Alopua Petoa(4)	Tofaga	Nui	0–24	9 May 2020	[11]
Eric Tealofi
Sueni Founuku(4)
James Lepaio(5)
Fata Filemoni
Katepu Iosua
Felo Feoto	Tamanuku	Nanumaga	2–6	16 May 2020
Nathan Josh	Nauti	Nui FC	10–0	16 May 2020
Hosea Sente(4)
Alopua Petoa(5)	Tofaga	Niutao	16-0	3 April 2021	[4]
James Lepaio(5)

External links

• RSSSF.com