American Samoa wins OFC Women’s U-16 Championship Qualifying Opener
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND — The road to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025 kicked off at Ngahue Reserve in Auckland with the first game of the three-match series to qualify a team for the Oc

![Center forward Leone S. Pritchard has ensured a first victory for an American Samoa side in any Oceania Football Confederation competition since 2018, with her second half goal enough to secure a 1- 0 win over Papua New Guinea in the OFC Women’s U-16 Championship Qualifying opener in Auckland. [courtesy photo] American Samoa women](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/american_samoa_women.jpg?itok=rRPdEjSj)
![Some of the local artists that were a part of the American Samoa contingent representing the territory at the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC). [photo: American Samoa Senate President’s Office] local artists at FestPAC](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/img_7056.jpg?itok=rKU1Xm9P)
![Imanueli Davetawalu who is representing both American Samoa and Fiji at the Youth Leadership Academy in Washington, D.C. proudly holds the American Samoa flag in front of the Washington Memorial. A full-ride scholarship from the Close-Up Foundation goes with the selection. [courtesy photo] Imanueli Davetawalu](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/immanueli_with_flag.jpg?itok=ztCI8RoO)

![Waylon Muller, the most-medaled athlete in Marshall Islands history, carried the torch to light the Games flame during the opening ceremony for the Micronesian Games. [Photo: Giff Johnson for RNZ] Waylon Muller, the most-medaled athlete in Marshall Islands history](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/marshall_islands_entertainment_copy.jpg?itok=Vy_bv6FG)
![NVTHS Valedictorian MingYuan Wang and Salutatorian Ida Tauline Tatupu share a group photo with school principal, vice principal and special guests after their Commencement Ceremony Thursday morning. (l-r) DOE Director Talauega Dr. Samasoni Asaeli, Senator Soliai Tuipine Fuimaono, Lt. Governor La'apui E.V. Ale, MingYuan Wang, Congresswoman Uifaatali Amata Radewagen, Ida Tauline Tatupu, NVTHS Principal Dr. Valasi Apulu and Vice Principal Agamalu Fuimaono-Tauese. [photo: Asi A. Fa'asau] NVTHS grads with dignataries](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/img_9124.jpg?itok=GzrMyenS)



