Jarvis Vaai
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jarvis Vaai Filimalae | ||
| Date of birth | 20 April 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Vaiala, Apia, Samoa[1] | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Nelson Suburbs | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Kiwi | |||
| 2022–202? | Fluminense Peru | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | Lupe o le Soaga | ||
| 2020–2021 | Havelock North | ||
| 2024– | Nelson Suburbs | 6 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | Samoa U16 | 6 | (7) |
| 2019– | Samoa | 10 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 December 2024 | |||
Jarvis Vaai Filimalae (born 20 April 2003), commonly referred to as Jarvis Vaai, is a Samoan international footballer who plays as a forward for New Zealand club Nelson Suburbs.
Club career
Early career
Vaai developed an interest in football at the age of seven, when his father Alastise became a referee with the Football Federation Samoa (FFS) and Vaai would accompany him to games.[2] He was enrolled in a number of footballing projects in Samoa, including Fun Football, where he was chosen to star in a commercial promoting the various programmes run by the FFS.[2]
Having played for Kiwi in his youth, Vaai played for both Samoan club Lupe o le Soaga and New Zealand club Havelock North in the 2020 season.[3][4] In January 2022, after a good season with Havelock North, he was invited to join a football centre in Peru linked with Brazilian professional side Fluminense.[5]
Nelson Suburbs
In 2024 he returned to New Zealand, joining Southern League side Nelson Suburbs.
International career
Vaai was called up to the Samoa under-16 squad for the 2018 OFC U-16 Championship, scoring five goals in the qualification round before adding two more in the competition proper.[6]
He was called up to the senior squad for the first time ahead of the 2019 Pacific Games, going on to make his debut at the age of sixteen and providing an assist for Matthew Chant in a 2–0 win against Tonga.[7]
In 2024, following a five-year absence from the team, Vaai was called up to the squad again for the 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup.[8] Later in the same year, he scored his first goal for the nation in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification; the second in a 2–0 win against American Samoa.[9]
Personal life
Vaai attended the Hastings Boys' High School in Hastings, New Zealand on a scholarship through an agreement with the FFS.[10]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lupe o le Soaga | 2020 | Samoa National League | – | – | 5[a] | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | |||
| Nelson Suburbs | 2024 | Southern League | 6 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
- Notes
- ^ Two appearances in the OFC Champions League qualifying, three appearances in the OFC Champions League
International
- As of 8 December 2024[13]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samoa | 2019 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 8 | 1 | |
| Total | 10 | 1 | |
International goals
- Scores and results list Samoa's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Samoa goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 September 2024 | FFS Football Stadium Field 1, Apia, Samoa |  American Samoa
|
2–0 | 2–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
References
- ^ a b Jarvis Vaai at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b "Filimalae a poster child for Samoan football". oceaniafootball.com. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ Airey, Thomas (21 January 2020). "Local players excited about Champions League". samoaobserver.ws. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Jarvis on the fast track to pro dream". oceaniafootball.com. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ Hamilton-Irvine, Gary (19 January 2022). "Young Hawke's Bay football star Jarvis Vaai chases dream in South America". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 6 September 2024. (subscription required)
- ^ Lafaialii Pauga, Angela (16 July 2018). "Jarvis Alatise lead Samoa's team on match day one". footballsamoa.ws. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Jarvis Filimalae: Samoan rising star". oceaniafootballcenter.org. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Familiar faces in Samoa squad as they prepare for OFC Men's Nations Cup". friendsoffootballnz.com. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Qualifications de l'OFC : les Tonga et les Samoa poursuivent leur route" [OFC Qualifiers: Tonga and Samoa continue their journey]. fifa.com (in French). 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ Lafaialii Pauga, Angela (3 April 2017). "Young Footballers Receive Opportunity of a Lifetime". footballsamoa.ws. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ Jarvis Vaai at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ Jarvis Vaai at Soccerway
- ^ Jarvis Vaai at National-Football-Teams.com
 | ||