West Papua
West Papua play outside FIFA, as a national team of the Confederation of Independent Football Associations. The side is run from the Netherlands, plays its home games on the Quick ground in The Hague, and has taken on teams from Tibet, Tamil Eelam, East Turkestan and Raetia.
From The Hague to CONIFA
A West Papua side first appeared at the 2005 UNPO Cup in The Hague, drawing 1–1 with South Moluccas and going out on penalties. The current Football Association West Papua was set up in 2017 to run the national team and arrange matches with other underrepresented nations. In August 2019 CONIFA officials met its representatives in The Hague, and the association was admitted as a full CONIFA member at the January 2020 General Assembly in Jersey.
The association lists Simon Sapioper as president, Jeroen Zandberg as secretary and Garry Ilina as head trainer.
Heavy Defeats, a 22–0 and a Win over Tibet
The first CONIFA-era fixtures were hard going. West Papua lost 8–2 to East Turkestan in October 2019, then 10–2 to Tamil Eelam in The Hague on 21 December 2019 in a CONIFA World Football Cup qualifier. On 23 October 2021 they beat Katanga 22–0, leading 12–0 at half-time.
In October 2022 they drew 5–5 with TikTok United, a team of social media creators, in a benefit match for West Papuan children in refugee camps near the Papua New Guinea border. On 13 November 2022 C. Ballassai’s second-half strike looked to have beaten Raetia, until Dario Wüthrich equalised in the final seconds for 1–1. On 18 August 2023 West Papua beat Tibet 5–2 at Quick, against a Tibetan side that had travelled from northern India.
Birds of Paradise and the Morning Star
The team’s nickname, Tjenderawasih, means bird of paradise. The flag most associated with West Papua is the Morning Star: thirteen blue and white stripes with a white star on a red band, first raised on 1 December 1961 in what was then Netherlands New Guinea. The territory came under Indonesian control in 1963. Indonesian authorities regard the flag as a challenge to their sovereignty, and its display is restricted in the region, so it carries strong political meaning. Papuan footballers such as Boaz Solossa have also played for Indonesia’s national team.
This FanFile covers West Papua as a national team rather than one particular jersey. Check the crest, sponsor, manufacturer label and product code on your own shirt to identify its specific season and edition.
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Team Links
Sources & Further Reading
- Football Association West Papua: official site, officials and match reports
- CONIFA: Tamil Eelam 10–2 West Papua
- CONIFA: meeting West Papua in The Hague, 2019
- The Diplomat: East Turkistan v West Papua
- Wikipedia: West Papua football team results
- Wikipedia: the Morning Star flag
Facts checked: 21 October 2026.