SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State women's soccer alumna Ali Fuamatu-Ma'afala was one of 19 women selected to represent American Samoa for this year's FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifiers from Nov. 28-Dec. 2 in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

American Samoa opened with a 3-0 victory over Tonga on Friday (Nov. 28) in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, winning its first qualifier match in the nation's history since competing in its first qualifying round in 1998. American Samoa advances to face either the Cook Islands or Tahitit on Monday (Dec. 1) in the Oceania Football Confederation Round One qualifying final.

The winner of that match joins the seven highest-ranked teams in the second round from Feb. 27-March 5, 2026. The group winners and runners-up advance to the third round where they will compete in a single-elimination tournament on April 11-14, 2026. The winners earn the OFC berth in the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.

Fuamatu-Ma'afala was one of 30 players called into camp with American Samoa back in September with other United States based players, then made the cut after a second camp featuring on-island hopefuls.

A native of Mililani, Hawai'i, Fuamatu-Ma'afala played three seasons for the Hornets from 2022-24 after spending her freshman year at UNLV. She started 35 of her 50 matches in the green and gold during those three seasons, finishing with a pair of assists against CSUN and Weber State as a senior.

That year, she also helped Sacramento State claim its third Big Sky Conference Tournament championship and — and its first since 2010 — and gain the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history.