Jaiyah Tauasuesimeamativa Saelua (born July 19, 1988) is an American Samoan
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a
center back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
for the
American Samoa national team.
Saelua is a
fa'afafine, a
third gender
Third gender is a concept in which individuals are categorized, either by themselves or by society, as neither man nor woman. It is also a social category present in societies that recognize three or more genders. The term ''third'' is usually ...
present in Polynesian society.
[Gabriel Faatau'uu-Satiu, ]
Football's first fa’afafine: trans rights trailblazer Jaiyah Saelua on stardom and sisterhood
', 31 July 2020, ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' She is the first openly
non-binary
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...
and
trans woman
A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and so ...
to compete in a
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
qualifier.
Saelua is featured in the 2014 documentary ''
Next Goal Wins''. A
feature film version of ''Next Goal Wins'' is planned, which will feature Kaimana, an actor who is also a fa'afafine, as Saelua, and will be directed by
Taika Waititi
Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has received two nominations at t ...
.
Early life
Saelua took up football at school as an 11-year-old.
Her first coach was
Nicky Salapu
Nicky Salapu (born September 13, 1980) is an American Samoan footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for PanSa East. He previously played for PanSa East from 2000 to 2008 and 2008 to 2011, then he left them to sign for Mitra Kukar in 2012. Salap ...
, the man famous for being the
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
during
American Samoa's world-record 31-0 defeat to Australia in 2001.
Saelua is a former
performing arts
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...
student who studied at the
University of Hawaii
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
.
Club career
Saelua has played for former
FFAS Senior League
FFAS Senior League is the top division of the Football Federation American Samoa in American Samoa and is played on an amateur basis.
In 2009, the last two rounds of the league and the play-offs were cancelled because the only available pitch in ...
men's champions
FC SKBC
SKBC FC, full name Samoa Korean Baptist Church Football Club, is an American Samoan football club.
Honors
*FFAS Senior League: 1
::2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for l ...
.
She now plays for and
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
her village club
Ilaoa and To'omata
Ilaoa and To'omata is an association football team from Pago Pago, American Samoa. They play in the territory's top division, the FFAS Senior League.
HONOURS : FFAS Senior League
FFAS Senior League is the top division of the Football Federation ...
.
Following the
2023 OFC Champions League qualifying stage she announced that she was considering retirement.
International career
Early career (2004–2011)
Saelua made her debut for the
American Samoa national team as a 15-year-old during
qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, appearing as a first-half substitute in an 11–0 defeat to
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
.
She then made a further three substitute appearances in
qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, as well as 4 substitute appearances at the
2011 Pacific Games
The 2011 Pacific Games (officially known as NC 2011) took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from August 27 to September 10, 2011. Nouméa was the 14th host of the Pacific Games. Upon closure of the registration for entries, "some 4,300 athletes" h ...
.
2014 World Cup qualification campaign (2011)
With the arrival of coach
Thomas Rongen
Thomas Eddy Rongen (born 31 October 1956) is a Dutch American football coach who has spent the majority of his playing and coaching career in the United States. In December 2016, he was named Chief Scout of the United States Men's National Team. ...
in 2011, Saelua was given extended game time, and she made her first start for the team and achieved her first-ever international win against
Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
during
qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
Until this point, American Samoa had been outscored 229–12 in all the international matches it had played, and were joint-last in the
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, led by Brazil . The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the ...
. Saelua provided an
assist
Assist or ASSIST may refer to:
Sports
Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team:
*Assist (basketball), a pass by a player that facilitates a ba ...
and made a last-minute goalline clearance to help her team to the narrow 2–1 win, and she was declared ''woman of the match'' by her coach.
She was later sent a letter by FIFA president
Sepp Blatter
Joseph "Sepp" Blatter (born Josef Blatter; 10 March 1936) is a Swiss former football administrator who served as the eighth President of FIFA from 1998 to 2015. He has been banned from participating in FIFA activities since 2015 as a result of ...
, recognising her achievements as the first openly
transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
footballer to appear in a
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
qualifying match.
The team followed up the win against Tonga with a 1–1 draw with the
Cook Islands
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, capital = Avarua
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Avarua
, official_languages =
, lan ...
.
Needing only a win in team's last game against bitter rivals
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
to progress to the next stage of qualification, the team fell agonisingly short, hitting the post in the dying minutes before a last-gasp Samoa goal eliminated the rival from the tournament.
American Samoa's efforts to qualify for the 2014 World Cup are chronicled in the 2014 British Documentary Film
''Next Goal Wins'', in which Saelua plays an integral part.
The film also documents the team's 2011 Pacific Games campaign.
Transition and 2019 Pacific Games (2015–2019)
Although intending to continue playing for the national team, Saelua was left out of the squad for
qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
This was in part because she was undergoing her
medical transition at the time.
Saelua considered the possibility of playing for the
American Samoa women's team after she had medically transitioned.
Saelua was recalled to the men's national squad for the
2019 Pacific Games
The 2019 Pacific Games was the sixteenth edition of the Pacific Games. The Games were held in Apia, Samoa, returning there for the first time since 2007. It was the third time overall that the Pacific Games were held in Samoa.
The event was init ...
, joining veteran goalkeeper
Nicky Salapu
Nicky Salapu (born September 13, 1980) is an American Samoan footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for PanSa East. He previously played for PanSa East from 2000 to 2008 and 2008 to 2011, then he left them to sign for Mitra Kukar in 2012. Salap ...
.
The team was managed by returning coach
Tunoa Lui, who had previously presided over
American Samoa's world-record 31–0 loss to Australia in 2001.
In the team's first match, they were praised for performing better than expected in a 5–0 loss to one of the pre-tournament favourites
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
, and Saelua was praised for her defensive performance. Saelua was also commended for her role in earning the team a 1–1 draw with
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
. She received a
yellow card
Yellow card may refer to:
* Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas
* Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band
* Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative conce ...
during the match.
This was the first game American Samoa had not lost at the tournament in 36 years.
Managerial career
Saelua coached the American Samoan boys football team, Leone Lions, during the 2018–2019 Boys ASHSAA season.
She led the team to the 2018–2019 ASHSAA Boys J-V title, for which she received the "Coach of the Year Award" from the
FFAS.
Style of play
Saelua plays in full make-up whenever she takes to the football field.
She is known for her crunching
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...
and is described as a defender who "takes no prisoners".
Other football-related activities
Since becoming the first non-binary player to play in a
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
-sanctioned tournament, Saelua has become a FIFA ambassador for equality and
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
athletes.
She was also appointed to the jury of the FIFA Diversity Award.
Saelua has also trained as a
referee
A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
, and has helped referee matches in her American Samoan homeland.
Personal life
Saelua is a
fa'afafine, a
third gender
Third gender is a concept in which individuals are categorized, either by themselves or by society, as neither man nor woman. It is also a social category present in societies that recognize three or more genders. The term ''third'' is usually ...
present in Polynesian society.
Saelua began her
gender transition
Gender transition is the process of changing one's gender presentation or sex characteristics to accord with one's internal sense of gender identity – the idea of what it means to be a man or a woman,Brown, M. L. & Rounsley, C. A. (1996) ''True ...
before the
2018 World Cup Qualifiers in 2015.
She has continued to play football after her transition, including at the 2019 Pacific Games.
In popular culture
Saelua is featured in two films: firstly in the highly-rated 2014
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
documentary film
''Next Goal Wins'', which documents the American Samoan football team's attempts to qualify for the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
and first international win, and secondly in the upcoming
Hollywood comedy-drama
re-make of
''Next Goal Wins'' directed by
Taika Waititi
Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has received two nominations at t ...
.
The re-make is expected to be released in late 2020.
Waititi considered casting Saelua in his adaptation of the 2014 documentary
''Next Goal Wins'', which she had previously starred in, but he ultimately choose fellow
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
n fa'afafine Kaimana to play the role.
Saelua is mentioned in the book ''Thirty-One Nil: On the Road With Football's Outsiders''. She is also mentioned in the children's book ''Football School Star Players: 50 Inspiring Stories of True Football Heroes''.
Career statistics
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saelua, Jaiyah
1988 births
Living people
People from Western District, American Samoa
American people of Samoan descent
Association football central defenders
Fa'afafine
LGBT association football players
American Samoan LGBT sportspeople
University of Hawaiʻi alumni
Ilaoa and To'omata players
FFAS Senior League players
American Samoa international footballers