American Samoa’s Jaiyah Saelua

World’s first transgender footballer proud to be ‘home’ for Pacific Games

After a break from the international sporting stage, she is back in action at the Samoa 2019 XVI Pacific Games, where her side are making headlines themselves.

On Friday, American Samoa ended a 36-year losing streak at the Games when they drew 1-1 with Tuvalu. It was the latest in a series of improving results for a team once branded the worst in the world after a 31-0 loss to Australia in a FIFA world cup qualifying match in 2001, and later made famous in an internationally released documentary film, Next Goal Wins.