HOW IMPORTANT IS THE FIJI

CUP FOR FOOTBALL IN FIJI?

It is very important. It gives us a

platform to increase our participation

numbers from all our six zones

across the country. With FIFA’s assistance

we also identify potential

skilled players in these age groups

and then to pitch them against overseas

opponents to expose them to

higher level of football.

HOW HAS FOOTBALL DEVELOPED

IN FIJI OVER THE LAST

5 YEARS? HOW HAS THE CUP

CONTRIBUTED TO THIS DEVELOPMENT?

Especially for development of

our women’s football it has played

a major role. These young women

start playing football at an early

age and then the opportunity to

compete for their respective zones

gives them the exposure. Most of

the young women in the age group

national teams have come through

this system

DO THE FIJIAN FOOTBALLERS

LOOK FORWARD TO THE CUP

EVERY YEAR?

Yes, our technical department

is always eager to strengthen our

player identification programme

across the country and are always

eager to assemble the best available

to compete in the Fiji Cup and more

so their continued involvement in

football.

WHO ARE THE NOTABLE TALENTS

AND FUTURE STARS?

The OFC Under-19 Girls team

that finished 2nd in Auckland this

year in August are the real future

stars, most of them are now in the

national team for Vanuatu Pacific

Mini Games

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CUP

FOR FUTURE NATIONAL TEAM

SELECTION, BEING THAT THE

TOURNAMENT IS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY

THAT YOUNG FIJIAN

FOOTBALLERS HAVE TO TEST

THEIR SKILLS AGAINST FOREIGN

PLAYERS?

Fiji Cup serves as one of the avenues

for us for player identifications

and is the only I at the moment to

play overseas opponents although

through our technical department

has developed the under 16 and under

19 for both boys and girls which

are played year around, this is also

our base for player identification.

IN YOUR SPEECH AT THE OPENING

CEREMONY, YOU MENTIONED

THAT FIJI’S FOOTBALL FACILITIES

WILL BE UPDATED IN 2018.

CAN YOU PLEASE ELABORATE

ON THESE DEVELOPMENTS?

For the Fiji Cup you need about

five to six fields in one locality. I

understand the Fijian Government

will soon upgrade the stadium at

Ba’s Govind Park. With Govind

Park available and two grounds at

the Ba Academy and three fields

at the nearby Xavier College will

set up an ideal location to play all

matches.

HOW DO YOU SEE FIJIAN

FOOTBALL PROGRESSING IN THE

NEXT FEW YEARS? WHAT

IMPROVEMENTS WOULD YOU

LIKE TO SEE OCCUR IN THE

FIJIAN FOOTBALL WORLD?

From the last couple of years the

Fiji Football focus has been its

youth development programme.

Now with the all our youth league

fully operational.

Paying dividends we are now focusing

on playing higher ranked

national teams in Asia to expose

and prepare for World Cup playoffs,

our target is to get to the 2026 world

cup where OFC will get two spots,

our Under-16 league currently in

progress as our mission 2026 printed

on their shirts as these are the

players that will most likely feature

for the Fijian national team.

– Fiji FA Media