A new winner will be crowned in the 2018 Vodafone Fiji Secondary Schools Foot­ball Championship at the Prince Charles Park in Nadi today.

This was after defending cham­pions Baulevu High and runner up LICI Cuvu College both failed to make the quarterfinals as they bowed out in the pool play yester­day.

Former champions Bhawani Dayal Arya College is back on track and will play Xavier College of Ba today.

BDAC defeated Bulileka Sanatan College 1-0 with Kaushik Prasad scoring from a penalty in the 16th minute.

BDAC principal Bijen Singh said the school had not been taking part in the competition for a number of years and only rejoined last year.

He added this time around they are serious about their chances and are on a mission to restore glory.

“We are back after a lapse of sev­eral years. The last time we won the competition was when Lorima Dau (current Rewa rep) was playing,” said Singh.

“Last year we decided to get in­volved again but we failed to make it through from the pool stages. This year we are serious of going all the way and we are delighted to be back in the running for top hon­ours and making the semi-finals is only the first step.

“Looking at the way the players played against Bulileka we are quite confident of our chances,” Singh added.

Singh thanked the parents, teach­ers and student for their involve­ment.

Meanwhile, in the other quarter­final Ahmadiya Muslim College of Dreketi in Vanua Levu upset for­mer champions DAV Suva 2-0.

Ba district rep Simione Nabenu guided his Xavier College side to send Tilak High School out with a 1-0 victory; Reliance Pharmacy Nadi Muslim College edged former Champs Kamil Muslim College 1-0 with similar margin.

Results: U19 pool plays: DAV Suva 0-0 Tavua College, Bulileka College 1-0 Vashist Muni College, Bhawani Dayal Arya College 1-0 SVC, Ah­madiya Muslim College (Dreketi) 1-0 Jai Narayan College, Xavier Col­lege 2–1 LICI Cuvu College, Reliance Pharmacy Nadi Muslim College 2 -0 Penang Sangam High School, Baulevu High School 1-1 Tilak High School, Sigatoka Andhra College 0-1 Batinikama Secondary School.

Girls: Xavier College 3-1 Holy Fam­ily Secondary School, Vunimono High School 2-0 Sigatoka Methodist College.

U17: Vashist Muni College 0-2 Coral Coast Fishing Charters Cuvu College, Labasa Muslim College 3-1 Tavua College.

U15: Labasa College 2-0 Xavier Col­lege, Reliance Pharmacy Nadi Mus­lim College 3-0 Rishikul College.

Whats on today:

8am: U19 semi-final: Bhawani Day­al Arya College – Xavier College

9.20am U19 Semi-final: Ahmadiya Muslim College – Nadi Muslim Col­lege

10.40am U15 final: Xavier College – Labasa College

12pm U17 final: Tavua College – La­basa Muslim

1.20pm Open Girls final: Vunimo­no High – Xavier College

2.40pm U19 final:

Edited by Osea Bola

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