The champion Ba football team yesterday received $50,000 from Vodafone for the OFC Champions League next month.

The ‘Men In Black’ Ba are pooled with two-time OFC Champions League runner-up Team Wellington, the current New Zealand League champion, Hienghene Sport, runner-up in the New Caledonia Super Ligue and the winner from the Qualifying Stage of the OFC Champions League.

Vodafone’s head of enterprise development Antonio Kitione said the company support all efforts to help in the growth of football.

“We support the champion Ba team who have proved to be the best above the rest,”he said.

“Competitions such as the Vodafone Fiji FACT and Vodafone Premier League provide the platform for development.

“Vodafone, through the various promotions in conjunction with Fiji Football Association, continues to contribute more funds for the development of football on a wider scale.”

Kitione said Fiji had good football outing in 2016.

Fiji FA president Rajesh Patel told Ba players they were representing their district, vanua and the country as a whole.

Patel said $USD500,000 was the prize-money at stake for the winning team from Oceania.

He said the players made a lot of sacrifices especially for their families and the only way the team could reward them was winning the OFC Champions League.

Edited by Osea Bola

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