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LONDON. – When Thomas Rongen was offered the chance to coach the American Samoan national football team ahead of a World Cup qualifier, he jumped at the chance to move to the South Pacific paradise.
But this was no ordinary coaching job in the sunshine.
Dubbed the worst team in the world, the side had lost all 30 of their official matches during their 20-year history and in 2001 had suffered the most crushing defeat ever in an international, losing 31-0 to Australia.
A decade on, Dutch-born Thomas – who had played alongside such legends as Johan Cruyff and George Best in the US before becoming a Major League Soccer coach – had just three weeks to knock them into shape before their qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The moving story, told in a 2014 documentary, Next Goal Wins, has now been turned into a Hollywood movie of the same name by director Taika Waititi, with Michael Fassbender in the role of Thomas.
Goalkeeper Nicky Salapu was the only original squad member who could produce the required passport – which he would live to regret after having to pick the ball out of the net 31 times.
He retired from the game shortly afterwards. – The Sun.
Bongani Ndlovu
Mathew Masinge