5 Sep 2015

Sport: Samoa football welcome win

8:24 am on 5 September 2015

Samoa is through to the next stage of qualifying for the 2018 Football World Cup, following a dramatic final day of competition in Nuku'alofa.

The Samoans needed a big win over Tonga to give themselves a chance of defending their Oceania pre-qualifier title and duly delivered with a 3-0 victory.

Cook Islands then suffered a 2-0 defeat to American Samoa in the later game, leaving three teams level on six points.

Samoa advanced thanks to a superior goal-difference - pipping the Cooks and American Samoa by a solitary strike.

Samoa celebrate winning the first stage of Oceania qualifying for the 2018 Football World Cup.

Samoa celebrate winning the first stage of Oceania qualifying for the 2018 Football World Cup. Photo: Oceania Football via Phototek

Captain Desmond Fa'aiuaso admits they were surprised results fell their way.

"We didn't expect we were going through because we all know American Samoa and the Cooks going to be a battle for them to go through. After the 90 minutes [with American Samoa leading and us knowing we were going through] the fourth official showed two minutes remaining, we were trying to hold ourselves down and trying to celebrate straight away."

Samoa will now take part in next year's Oceania Nations Cup, alongside Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu.