Newly Appointed Suva Coach Works On ‘Attitude’
The Suva football team have been training in Tavua to prepare for the Vodafone Fiji FACT which gets underway on Friday at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
Newly appointed coach Saroj Kumar said coaching Suva is a big challenge for him.
“I’ve to come out of my comfort zone, as I’m used to coaching Western teams,” he said.
“I’ve been coaching Tavua and now I’m with Suva and it is a big challenge for me.”
Kumar said Suva have always being tagged as the favourites regardless of what tournament they play in.
“I’ve seen that most players come as far as from New Zealand and Solomon Islands.
“When it comes to the local players they have big names like national football captain Laisenia Raura, former Rewa striker Iosefo Verevou long with a couple of talented players like Anare Apenisa, Christopher Wasalala and Vilitati Kautoga.
“We have players all from different parts of Fiji in the squad.”
Kumar said the team’s performance during the Vodafone Premier League has been disappointing.
“We lost around three to four games. The reason has been the unavailability of ground for training and players have to travel quite a distance to be at the ground.”
He said there needs to be a change in attitude among the players.
“Some of the players have already been tagged as a star but when a star comes to training they want to push their way around.
“I’ve simply told them if they are a star than they need to show it on the field of play.
“As their coach, I have to get them to think right, make them think clear and to think straight.
“Once I get their attitude and thinking right then we will focus as a team.”
Kumar said if the players listen to what he is saying they should achieve the goals they have set.
“We will take each game as they come.
“I know about Tavua they are always giving other teams are tough time.
“It is one team that can surprise anybody as the players have been together for the past four years.”
He said Labasa and Lautoka have some good players and coaches so they should be a threat to them.
SUVA SQUAD
Ivan Kumar, Tomasi Ululoa, Faizal Ali, Nickel Chand, Vilitati Kautoga, Iosefa Verevou, Gagame Feni, Epeli Leiroti, Michael Boso, Laisenia Raura, Filipe Baravilala, Madhwan Goundar, Simione Tamanisau, Waisake Navunigasau, Meli Codro, Kali Tivulu, Keivin Naidu, Philip Leong, Christopher Wasalala, Anare Apenisa, Emori Ragata.
Edited by Anasilini Natoga
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