| Leon Kofana | |
| Birth Date: | 20 June 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Solomon Islands |
| Currentclub: | Henderson Eels |
| Clubnumber: | 2 |
| Position: | Defender |
| Youthyears1: | –2019 |
| Youthclubs1: | Henderson Eels |
| Youthyears2: | 2019–2020 |
| Youthclubs2: | Wellington Phoenix |
| Years1: | 2020– |
| Clubs1: | Henderson Eels |
| Nationalyears1: | 2018–2019 |
| Nationalteam1: | Solomon Islands U17 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 7 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2022– |
| Nationalteam2: | Solomon Islands |
| Nationalcaps2: | 8 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 16:05, 27 January 2023 (UTC) |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 16:05, 27 January 2023 (UTC) |
Leon Kofana is a Solomon Islands footballer who currently plays for Telekom S-League club Henderson Eels and the Solomon Islands national team.
As a youth, Kofana played for his school club at White River Community High School. In 2017 the team advanced to the semi-final of the school league before being eliminated by Numbu Christian High School.[1] The following year the team finished third in the league with Kofana anchoring the defense in the bronze final match.[2]
In 2019 he and compatriot Raphael Lea'i received a scholarship to attend Scots College in New Zealand and be part of Wellington Phoenix FC's youth setup.[3] During their first season with the school team, it won its first-ever Premiership title in school history.[4] During his time with Wellington Phoenix, he was unable to appear in competitive matches because of FIFA's regulations regarding players under age eighteen.[5]
Both players were invited back to New Zealand for another year in 2020.[6] However, they decided to remain with their club team in the Solomon Islands.[7] Shortly thereafter, Kofana became a regular starter for Henderson Eels F.C. of the local Telekom S-League and was expected to play a large role in the team's 2020 OFC Champions League campaign. He went on to lead the team to a second-place finish in the league that season.[8]
In March 2020 at age seventeen Kofana and Lea'i achieved what had been a rare feat for players from the Pacific Islands, a trial with Melbourne Victory FC of Australia's A-League.[9] Despite receiving praise from club staff, neither player was signed to a contract following the two-week stint. Several issues, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, added uncertainty to if the players would return.[10]
Following the Solomon Islands championship at the 2017 OFC Youth Futsal Tournament,[11] Kofana represented the nation in futsal at the youth level at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He scored two goals in the tournament.[12]
Kofana represented the Solomon Islands at the youth level at the 2018 OFC U-16 Championship.[13] He served as captain of the team at the tournament and scored a goal in a 5–0 victory over New Zealand.[14] The victory was the island nation's first over New Zealand at any level in twenty-five years.[15] He went on to represent the nation at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[16]
In 2019 he was part of the squad that traveled to Europe for that year's UEFA Development Tournament in Belarus.[17] The Solomon Islands went on to be surprised runners-up in the tournament.[18]
Kofana received his first senior international call-up in February 2020 as part of the provisional squad.[19] In March 2022, he was named to the Solomon Islands senior squad again for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[20] He went on to make his senior debut on 17 March 2022 in the team's opening match victory over the Cook Islands.[21] Following the team's first-place finish in its group, the Solomon Islands were eventually defeated by New Zealand in the final, costing the Solomon Islands a spot in the inter-confederation play-off.[22]
As of match played 30 September 2022[21]
| Solomon Islands | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals | |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 0 | |