The Solomon Islands national team, often nicknamed Bonitos, represents the Oceania state on the international scene. It is governed by the Solomon Islands Football Federation founded in 1978. The team got FIFA and OFC affiliation in 1988.
The Solomon Islands got off to a flying start beating New Hebrides 6-3 in their first official game in August 1963. In December of the same year, the squad suffered their biggest 0-18 defeat to French Polynesia. Their biggest win came in a match against Wallis and Futuna in 1991 which ended 17-0 for the Solomons.
The team was never too strong to ever qualify for the World Cup. However, they announced themselves to the Oceanian football in the 2004 Oceania Nations Cup when they raised eyebrows by beating odds-on favourite New Zealand and finishing as a runner-up after giant Australia. In 2011, the Solomons recorded the second place in the South Pacific Games in 2011.
The Solomon Islands national team was ranked 141st in the FIFA table in October 2012, climbing up to the 120th in October 2007 at the utmost.
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