Leon Kofana

Leon Kofana is a Solomon Islands footballer who currently plays for Telekom S-League club Henderson Eels and the Solomon Islands national team.

Leon Kofana
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-06-20) 20 June 2002
Place of birth Solomon Islands
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Henderson Eels
Number 2
Youth career
0000–2019 Henderson Eels
2019–2020 Wellington Phoenix
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020– Henderson Eels
International career‡
2018–2019 Solomon Islands U17 7 (1)
2022– Solomon Islands 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:05, 27 January 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:05, 27 January 2023 (UTC)

Club career

As a youth, Kofana played for his school club at White River Community High School. In 2017 the team advanced to the semi-final of the school league before being eliminated by Numbu Christian High School.[1] The following year the team finished third in the league with Kofana anchoring the defense in the bronze final match.[2]

In 2019 he and compatriot Raphael Lea'i received a scholarship to attend Scots College in New Zealand and be part of Wellington Phoenix FC's youth setup.[3] During their first season with the school team, it won its first-ever Premiership title in school history.[4] During his time with Wellington Phoenix, he was unable to appear in competitive matches because of FIFA's regulations regarding players under age eighteen.[5]

Both players were invited back to New Zealand for another year in 2020.[6] However, they decided to remain with their club team in the Solomon Islands.[7] Shortly thereafter, Kofana became a regular starter for Henderson Eels F.C. of the local Telekom S-League and was expected to play a large role in the team's 2020 OFC Champions League campaign. He went on to lead the team to a second-place finish in the league that season.[8]

In March 2020 at age seventeen Kofana and Lea'i achieved what had been a rare feat for players from the Pacific Islands, a trial with Melbourne Victory FC of Australia's A-League.[9] Despite receiving praise from club staff, neither player was signed to a contract following the two-week stint. Several issues, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, added uncertainty to if the players would return.[10]

International career

Following the Solomon Islands championship at the 2017 OFC Youth Futsal Tournament,[11] Kofana represented the nation in futsal at the youth level at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He scored two goals in the tournament.[12]

Kofana represented the Solomon Islands at the youth level at the 2018 OFC U-16 Championship.[13] He served as captain of the team at the tournament and scored a goal in a 5–0 victory over New Zealand.[14] The victory was the island nation's first over New Zealand at any level in twenty-five years.[15] He went on to represent the nation at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[16]

In 2019 he was part of the squad that traveled to Europe for that year's UEFA Development Tournament in Belarus.[17] The Solomon Islands went on to be surprised runners-up in the tournament.[18]

Kofana received his first senior international call-up in February 2020 as part of the provisional squad.[19] In March 2022, he was named to the Solomon Islands senior squad again for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[20] He went on to make his senior debut on 17 March 2022 in the team's opening match victory over the Cook Islands.[21] Following the team's first-place finish in its group, the Solomon Islands were eventually defeated by New Zealand in the final, costing the Solomon Islands a spot in the inter-confederation play-off.[22]

International career statistics

As of match played 30 September 2022[21]

Solomon Islands
YearAppsGoals
202280
202300
Total80

References
  1. Abana, Simon. "Numbu shows dominance in school league". Solomon Islands Football Federation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  2. Abana, Simon. "Honiara Football ends season". Solomon Islands Football Federation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  3. Ragaruma, Milton. "Education First". The Island Sun. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  4. Abana, Simon. "GOLDEN BOY, Lea'i wins NZ College golden boot". Solomon Islands Football Federation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  5. Rollo, Phillip. "Oceania's brightest prospect, Raphael Le'ai, joins Wellington Phoenix academy". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  6. Iroga, Robert. "Le'ai, Kofana returning to Wellington". Solomon Business Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  7. Abana, Simon. "Duo to stay with Henderson Eels". Solomon Islands Football Federation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  8. "Henderson Eels look to age-grade stars". The Fiji Times. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  9. Ewart, Richard. "Rising Solomon Islands soccer stars making an impact at Melbourne Victory FC". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  10. Bjerkevoll, Ola. "Trial over for Solomons boys: "We are happy with our performances"". Football in Oceania. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  11. "OFC Youth Futsal Tournament wraps up". Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  12. "Men's Youth Olympic Football Tournament Buenos Aires 2018". FIFA. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  13. Abana, Simon. "Hosts take on PNG on familiar territory". Solomon Islands Football Federation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  14. "Solomon Islands vs. New Zealand". Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  15. Abana, Simon. "Historic win over New Zealand since 1993". Solomon Islands Football Federation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  16. "Sport: Solomon Islands name U-17 FIFA World Cup squad". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  17. Abana, Simon. "Young lads bound for Europe". Solomon Islands Football Federation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  18. "Sport: Solomons U17s finish runners-up at UEFA tournament". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  19. Abana, Simon. "National team provisional squad released". Solomon Islands Football Federation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  20. Abana, Simon. "Solomon Islands name squad for Word Cup qualifiers". Solomon Islands Football Federation. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  21. "NFT profile". National Football Teams. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  22. Burgess, Michael. "Football: All Whites reach World Cup playoff with thrashing of Solomon Islands". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
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