Home | National Football Team | Northern Mariana Islands national football team
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The association is a member of the East Asian Football Federation. They first participated internationally as a guest team in the U-14 East Asian Football Federation Youth Festival in July 2006 in Beijing. In December 2006, the EAFF admitted the Northern Mariana Islands as a provisional member, granting full membership in September 2008. Until 2009, the first team had only competed against neighbours Guam - in the East Asian Football Championship 2008 and annual Marianas Cup. The qualification process for the 2010 EAFF Championship was altered from the previous edition, meaning the team finally faced competition from further afield. In July 2009 The AFC Exco agreed to accept the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association (NMIFA) as an Associate Member of the Asian Football Confederation, after the association resigned from the Oceania Football Confederation in June 2009, paving the way to join AFC. The NMIFA will be a provisional member until the next AFC Congress, when it has the chance to be ratified as a permanent Associate Member. On June 19, 2010 the NMI earned a 1-1 draw with neighbor Guam in the 2010 Marianas Cup. The match ended in a draw as there was insufficient lighting to continue the match after the end of regulation. Joe Miller scored for the NMI in the 68th minute and Jason Cunliffe answered for Guam in the 89th minute to salvage a draw for Guam. |