Teammates embrace Florencina Kalifa as she celebrates her goal against Koloale FC Photo: Shane Wenzlick/OFC
Florencina Kalifa wasn't going to let go of the ball she hit into the net for her team's first women's Champions League goal, even taking it to bed with her that night.
Kalifa is just 13 and the youngest player competing at the tournament in Port Moresby.
The teenager became the youngest scorer in the competition with her goal for Kiwi FC's game against Koloale FC of Solomon Islands.
She took the match ball everywhere following the match.
Kiwi FC may have lost 1-2 to Koloale FC but gave a good account of themselves. It was a significant improvement on their heavy defeats in their opening two matches of the tournament.
Growing up in Apia, the third daughter of a rugby-playing dad Kalifa Faleaana and a volleyball-playing mum Lina Faleaana, sport has always been a daily part of life for Florencina.
She was introduced to football at the age of five, following her older sister Vineta everywhere, including to football training and games.
Vineta captains the Kiwi FC Women's team, and being more than seven years her junior, Florencina was determined to follow in her sister's footsteps.
By the age of seven Florencina started playing for the Kiwi FC U-12 team, and it was here that she overcame her first barrier in football.
"I wasn't afraid to play with the bigger girls and I got excited every time I was going to play. But I was underestimated by my team-mates who didn't want to pass the ball to me. But it didn't stop me, and I didn't feel down for it for them not passing the ball to me, it motivated me," Kalifa told OFC Media.
Kiwi FC’s Florencina Kalifa (right) and her sister Vineta Faleaana Photo: Shane Wenzlick/OFC
She takes her surname from her dad's first name but has revealed her mum provides the inspiration for her playing football.
"My mum inspires me; she is heavily involved in the club and is always at the games helping.
"Football's a game that brings the family together, everyone can be involved, my sisters, my brother, my mum the whole family comes to watch. Kiwi FC is like a family and every time we have a game mum works hard for the whole team. She cooks rice and curry for after the match." Kalifa said.
Coach Leti Tamasese said Florencina's mum Lina works on Saturdays, so would also juggle her start time around her daughter's football. "So if the game is in the morning, she goes to the game and adjusts her work time so she can watch the girls." Tamasese said.
Kicking the ball around the house
Like any kid, excitement builds on match days in the Faleaana household (her nine-year-old brother Epaforoti is also playing at Kiwi FC) and Florencina admits she is always getting told off by her mum for kicking the ball around inside.
"Before every match mum usually scolds me for playing with the ball in the house, I never let go of the ball in the house and am told to go outside."
The year 9 student also plays rugby tag and netball at Leifiifi College in Apia, and she hopes her feats at the inaugural OFC Women's Champions League can serve as an inspiration for her fellow students when she returns home next week.
"I am going to use this experience to help the youth team girls to motivate them when I get home," Kalifa said.
Her sister's phone has been going non-stop since she scored against Koloale FC, with messages from her family, extended family, friends and from her school.
"When I get back, I am going to be a queen to my friends, and I will encourage them to look for a sport that they really want to join."
So what's it like for Florencina to be in a team with her big sister Vineta as captain?
"We are competitive," she said, leaving coach Tamasese to explain further.
"One day we had a training camp at my place, and I asked Florencina why she was there so early. She said she wanted to train hard early in the morning and again in the evening and be better than her sister.
"So yesterday when she scored the goal her sister was saying 'that should have been mine if she had passed the ball to me'. And they were fighting yesterday, (laughs) and Florencina says 'if I had known you were there, I would have passed the ball, but I saw you would have been offside'." Tamasese explained as the sisters laughed.
Youth development
Florencina Kalifa's emergence as a real talent in Samoan women's football comes at a time when OFC has just launched its 'This is How We Football' Women's football programme which aims to encourage girls aged 13 and over to engage in football at community and elite level.
And Florencina revealed another OFC programme, Just Play which is targeted at 6-12 year old's, was something she was involved with as a youngster.
She acknowledges she's very much still at the start of her football journey and says this tournament has provided a real eye opener and a gage of what areas of her game she needs to develop, positional play and ball skills.
But with a supportive team and family environment around her, Florencina Kalifa is confident she can continue to achieve her dreams in football.
Kiwi FC look to finish the competition on a high note when they face New Caledonia's AS Academy Feminine on Thursday.
Florencina Kalifa celebrates her goal against Koloale FC in Port Moresby. Photo: Shane Wenzlick
- OFC Media
