Ba rep to captain Fiji U16

Ba football representative Jone Loga will captain the Fiji Under-16 side to the Oceania Football Confederations (OFC) U16 Championship in Papua New Guinea.

Isoa Baselala and Kirikiti Biu have been named co-captains for the campaign. The team has been in camp for the past six weeks at the Fiji Football Association Academy in Ba.

Fiji U16 head coach Sunil Kumar said the players had shown outstanding commitment throughout their preparation.

“The dedication, discipline and work ethic shown by this group has been exceptional,” he said.

“For the past six weeks, the boys have worked tirelessly in camp, embracing every challenge and pushing each other to improve. We know the competition will be tough, but the players are focused, united and ready to give everything for Fiji.

“Our goal is to make our country proud and compete for a place at the World Cup,” said Kumar, who guided Fiji to qualification in the previous two U16 campaigns.

The tournament carries added significance, with the top three teams qualifying for the FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2027.

Fiji will be aiming for a third appearance at the global event after qualifying twice previously.

Fiji FA chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf urged the players to embrace the opportunity and represent the country with pride.

Fiji U16 squad: Ratu Natirivi, Junaid Nabi, Aaron Veitamani, Somit Maharaj, Jerry Levea, Jone Loga (C ), Shahil Prasad, Simione Poe, Maikeli Ratuove, Darshil Raj, Joshua Prasad, Navitesh Kumar, Ryan Swami, Isoa Baselala, Lekima Rokodragi, Mohammed Watson, Ahmad Shameem, Rayyaan Mohammed, Zaman Shah, Kirikiti Biu, Daniel Ganzalas Raicama and Setoki Vatanitawake.