Nathaniel Lepani
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Lepani is a footballer from Papua New Guinea
. Lepani plays as a midfielder and currently plays for Brisbane City at club level and the Papua New Guinea national football team
at international level.
. He wore the no.7 shirt for the team. After playing for the California
n club in the 2002 season, Nathaniel moved to another club and another country, this time transferring to Australia
's Brisbane City FC in time for the 2003 season. He has remained at the club ever since.
held in the Cook Islands
and New Caledonia
. He scored twice for the side, in the 4-0 win over Cook Islands
on 17 February 2004. However, despite this win, Papua New Guinea finished bottom of their group and failed to make it to the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
.
Lepani made his senior debut for Papua New Guinea
on 14 January 2004 against the Solomon Islands
in a 4-2 loss. He went on to make eight appearances that year, scoring against Fiji
in a 2004 Summer Olympics
qualifier on 18 January 2004, and also netting against Samoa
three times over two games.
In June 2008 he was called up to Papua New Guinea
's Wantok Cup 2008 squad, but his country eventually withdrew from the competition.
These eight caps remained Lepani's only appearances for the national team until he was called up for the men's football tournament
at the 2011 Pacific Games
in New Caledonia
. He justified his inclusion in the squad by scoring Papua New Guinea's
fourth goal in their 4-0 win over the Cook Islands
on 27 August 2011, after coming off the bench.
Nathaniel was again a used substitute in the 1-1 draw with Tahiti
on 1 September 2011, coming on just eleven minutes into the game after an injury to Reg Davani. He was later substituted off the pitch after Cyril Muta's red card. Lepani scored four times in the 17-1 demolition of Kiribati
on 3 September 2011, including two goals in the space of a minute.
He then played in Papua New Guinea
's final group match, the 2-0 loss to Fiji
on 5 September 2011 that meant Papua New Guinea were sent home.
and Menlo College
, California
in the United States
. He then graduated from the Queensland University of Technology
in 2006, after studying business. His mother is from the United States
and his father is Papua New Guinea
n. Nathaniel's brother, Andrew Lepani, is also a footballer and has played for Papua New Guinea
.
His grandmother is from the Trobriand Islands
and still lives there. In November 2006, Nathaniel met World Cup
winner Christian Karembeu
at the launch of the Oceania Football Confederation
's OFC Champions League 2007.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. Lepani plays as a midfielder and currently plays for Brisbane City at club level and the Papua New Guinea national football team
Papua New Guinea national football team
The Papua New Guinea national football team is the national team of Papua New Guinea and is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association....
at international level.
Club career
Lepani began his career in 2001 with Cosmos Port Moresby, a team based in the capital of his home country. Just one year after joining Cosmos, however, the midfielder moved to the United States of America to play for Menlo Oaks, while studying at Menlo CollegeMenlo College
Menlo College, often referred to as Menlo, is a private, four-year baccalaureate college specializing in business located in the Silicon Valley town of Atherton, California.-Campus:...
. He wore the no.7 shirt for the team. After playing for the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n club in the 2002 season, Nathaniel moved to another club and another country, this time transferring to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's Brisbane City FC in time for the 2003 season. He has remained at the club ever since.
International career
Nathaniel played for Papua New Guinea U-20 in the 2001 OFC U-20 Championship2001 OFC U-20 Championship
The 2001 OFC U-20 Championship was the thirteenth contested. It was won by Australia who qualified for the 2001 FIFA U-20 World Cup after defeating New Zealand 4-3 on aggregate.-Group A:The 2001 OFC U-20 Championship was the thirteenth contested...
held in the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
. He scored twice for the side, in the 4-0 win over Cook Islands
Cook Islands national football team
The Cook Islands national football team is the national team of the Cook Islands and is controlled by the Cook Islands Football Association. With a population of around 24,000 people it remains one of the smallest FIFA teams.-World Cup record:...
on 17 February 2004. However, despite this win, Papua New Guinea finished bottom of their group and failed to make it to the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Argentina between June 17 and July 8, 2001. The 2001 championship was the 13th contested. The tournament took part in six cities, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Salta, and Mar del Plata...
.
Lepani made his senior debut for Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national football team
The Papua New Guinea national football team is the national team of Papua New Guinea and is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association....
on 14 January 2004 against the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands national football team
The Solomon Islands national football team is the national team of the Solomon Islands and is controlled by Solomon Islands Football Federation. The team shocked the football world in the 2004 Oceania Nations Cup , tying Australia 2–2 to nip heavily-favored New Zealand for second place and a spot...
in a 4-2 loss. He went on to make eight appearances that year, scoring against Fiji
Fiji national football team
The Fiji national football team is the national team of Fiji and is controlled by the Fiji Football Association. Their best finish in the OFC Nations Cup was third in 1998 and 2008.-World Cup record:*1930 to 1978 - Did not enter...
in a 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
qualifier on 18 January 2004, and also netting against Samoa
Samoa national football team
The Samoa national association football team represents Samoa in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation Samoa, the governing body for football in Samoa. Samoa's home ground is Toleafoa J.S Blatter Soccer Stadium in Apia. It was known as the Western Samoa national...
three times over two games.
In June 2008 he was called up to Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national football team
The Papua New Guinea national football team is the national team of Papua New Guinea and is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association....
's Wantok Cup 2008 squad, but his country eventually withdrew from the competition.
These eight caps remained Lepani's only appearances for the national team until he was called up for the men's football tournament
Men's Football at the 2011 Pacific Games
The 2011 Pacific Games men's football tournament was the 13th edition of Pacific Games men's football tournament. The competition was held in New Caledonia from 27 August to 9 September 2011 with the final played at the Stade Numa-Daly in Nouméa....
at the 2011 Pacific Games
2011 Pacific Games
The 2011 Pacific Games took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from August 27 to September 10, 2011. Nouméa was the 14th host of the Pacific Games...
in New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
. He justified his inclusion in the squad by scoring Papua New Guinea's
Papua New Guinea national football team
The Papua New Guinea national football team is the national team of Papua New Guinea and is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association....
fourth goal in their 4-0 win over the Cook Islands
Cook Islands national football team
The Cook Islands national football team is the national team of the Cook Islands and is controlled by the Cook Islands Football Association. With a population of around 24,000 people it remains one of the smallest FIFA teams.-World Cup record:...
on 27 August 2011, after coming off the bench.
Nathaniel was again a used substitute in the 1-1 draw with Tahiti
Tahiti national football team
The Tahiti national football team is the national team of French Polynesia and is controlled by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football.They finished second in the OFC Nations Cup in its first three installments, 1973, 1980, and 1996. In 2009 the under 20 team qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in...
on 1 September 2011, coming on just eleven minutes into the game after an injury to Reg Davani. He was later substituted off the pitch after Cyril Muta's red card. Lepani scored four times in the 17-1 demolition of Kiribati
Kiribati national football team
The Kiribati national football team is the national football team of Kiribati and is controlled by the Kiribati Islands Football Association. Kiribati is not a member of FIFA but is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation , and is therefore not eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup...
on 3 September 2011, including two goals in the space of a minute.
He then played in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national football team
The Papua New Guinea national football team is the national team of Papua New Guinea and is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association....
's final group match, the 2-0 loss to Fiji
Fiji national football team
The Fiji national football team is the national team of Fiji and is controlled by the Fiji Football Association. Their best finish in the OFC Nations Cup was third in 1998 and 2008.-World Cup record:*1930 to 1978 - Did not enter...
on 5 September 2011 that meant Papua New Guinea were sent home.
International appearances and goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 January 2004 | Marconi Stadium Marconi Stadium Marconi Stadium is a football stadium in Bossley Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is mainly is used for association football and is the home ground for the Marconi Stallions team.-History:... , Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
L 4-2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Oceania. 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America... |
||
| 2 | 16 January 2004 | Marconi Stadium Marconi Stadium Marconi Stadium is a football stadium in Bossley Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is mainly is used for association football and is the home ground for the Marconi Stallions team.-History:... , Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
L 9-0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Oceania. 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America... |
||
| 3 | 18 January 2004 | Marconi Stadium Marconi Stadium Marconi Stadium is a football stadium in Bossley Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is mainly is used for association football and is the home ground for the Marconi Stallions team.-History:... , Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
L 4-1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Oceania. 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America... |
1 | |
| 4 | 22 January 2004 | Marconi Stadium Marconi Stadium Marconi Stadium is a football stadium in Bossley Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is mainly is used for association football and is the home ground for the Marconi Stallions team.-History:... , Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
D 4-4 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Oceania. 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America... |
2 | |
| 5 | 10 May 2004 | Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Complex, Apia | D 1-1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Oceania. 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America... |
||
| 6 | 12 May 2004 | Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Complex, Apia | L 4-2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Oceania. 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America... |
||
| 7 | 17 May 2004 | Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Complex, Apia | W 10-0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Oceania. 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America... |
||
| 8 | 19 May 2004 | Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Complex, Apia | W 4-1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Oceania. 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America... |
1 | |
| 9 | 27 August 2011 | Stade Boewa Stade Boewa Stade Boewa is a sports stadium in Boulari Bay, New Caledonia that is primarily used for association football. The stadium is home to a number of local clubs and was also a venue used in the men's football tournament at the 2011 Pacific Games... , Boulari Bay Boulari Bay Boulari Bay or Baie de Boulari is a bay in southwestern New Caledonia. It forms the stretch of water to the east of Noumea.... |
W 4-0 | 2011 Pacific Games 2011 Pacific Games The 2011 Pacific Games took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from August 27 to September 10, 2011. Nouméa was the 14th host of the Pacific Games... |
1 | |
| 10 | 1 September 2011 | Stade Boewa Stade Boewa Stade Boewa is a sports stadium in Boulari Bay, New Caledonia that is primarily used for association football. The stadium is home to a number of local clubs and was also a venue used in the men's football tournament at the 2011 Pacific Games... , Boulari Bay Boulari Bay Boulari Bay or Baie de Boulari is a bay in southwestern New Caledonia. It forms the stretch of water to the east of Noumea.... |
D 1-1 | 2011 Pacific Games 2011 Pacific Games The 2011 Pacific Games took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from August 27 to September 10, 2011. Nouméa was the 14th host of the Pacific Games... |
||
| 11 | 3 September 2011 | Stade Boewa Stade Boewa Stade Boewa is a sports stadium in Boulari Bay, New Caledonia that is primarily used for association football. The stadium is home to a number of local clubs and was also a venue used in the men's football tournament at the 2011 Pacific Games... , Boulari Bay Boulari Bay Boulari Bay or Baie de Boulari is a bay in southwestern New Caledonia. It forms the stretch of water to the east of Noumea.... |
W 17-1 | 2011 Pacific Games 2011 Pacific Games The 2011 Pacific Games took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from August 27 to September 10, 2011. Nouméa was the 14th host of the Pacific Games... |
4 | |
| 12 | 5 September 2011 | Stade Boewa Stade Boewa Stade Boewa is a sports stadium in Boulari Bay, New Caledonia that is primarily used for association football. The stadium is home to a number of local clubs and was also a venue used in the men's football tournament at the 2011 Pacific Games... , Boulari Bay Boulari Bay Boulari Bay or Baie de Boulari is a bay in southwestern New Caledonia. It forms the stretch of water to the east of Noumea.... |
L 2-0 | 2011 Pacific Games 2011 Pacific Games The 2011 Pacific Games took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from August 27 to September 10, 2011. Nouméa was the 14th host of the Pacific Games... |
Personal life
Lepani attended Port Moresby International School and St Peter's College in Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
and Menlo College
Menlo College
Menlo College, often referred to as Menlo, is a private, four-year baccalaureate college specializing in business located in the Silicon Valley town of Atherton, California.-Campus:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He then graduated from the Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
in 2006, after studying business. His mother is from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and his father is Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
n. Nathaniel's brother, Andrew Lepani, is also a footballer and has played for Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national football team
The Papua New Guinea national football team is the national team of Papua New Guinea and is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association....
.
His grandmother is from the Trobriand Islands
Trobriand Islands
The Trobriand Islands are a 450 km² archipelago of coral atolls off the eastern coast of New Guinea. They are situated in Milne Bay Province in Papua New Guinea. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main island of Kiriwina, which is also the location of the...
and still lives there. In November 2006, Nathaniel met World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
winner Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu is a retired French international footballer and current scout for Arsenal Football Club...
at the launch of the Oceania Football Confederation
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
's OFC Champions League 2007.