The Solomon Islands Senior Women’s National Football Team begins its World Cup qualifying campaign today – Friday 27th February on home soil, facing American Samoa at the National Stadium at 5pm.
Solomon Islands is hosting Group A of the OFC Women’s 2027 World Cup Qualifiers, alongside New Zealand, Samoa and American Samoa.
In this second phase, eight teams are split into two groups and will play in a round-robin format with the top two teams from each group advancing into the semi-finals. Group B will be played in Fiji and includes the hosts Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
Head coach Daniel Barrett said the team has been preparing together since October 2025 and has built strong understanding on and off the field.
“Basically, we’ve been together every day since October. I’ve had the team full-time, so they’re very familiar in relation to how I want the team to operate. I’m very familiar with understanding the things that they can do really well and the things that maybe they can’t do really well. We’ve hopefully been able to build a plan that complements the things that the Solomon Islands team can do very naturally,” he said.
“I took the time and the opportunity to be able to work with these young ladies every day. I think that’s been a key advantage into our preparation moving forward.”
With preparations complete, Barrett said it is now time for the players to enjoy the moment and perform in front of their home supporters.
“Now we’ve just told the girls, just enjoy it now. We feel like we’ve done the work, and now I just want them to take it all in and enjoy playing in front of their family and friends,” he added.
He also called on fans to come out in numbers and support the team.
“Yeah, just come and get behind the girls. I can tell you that this team has worked so hard. So I know in their hearts that they want to do very, very well for this country. This is a football-mad country. That’s why I love being here.
“Just come and support them. Just give them every bit of support that they need to get them over the line,” he said.
In today’s earlier match, New Zealand will take on Samoa at 1pm, before Solomon Islands meets American Samoa at 5pm.
Tickets are priced at $10 (SBD) for both adults and children. They are available at the SIFF Headquarters and at the stadium gate.
By TIMOTHY INIFIRI JNR
Solomon Star, Honiara
Photo caption: Solomon Islands captain Ileen Pegi and Head coach Daniel Barret during the Pre-Tournament Photo Shoot
