Fiji FA rewards Bula Boys for historic win

The Fiji Football Association (Fiji FA) will reward each member of the Bula Boys play­ing squad and team officials with $1,000 following Fiji's historic tri­umph at the 2026 MSG Prime Minis­ter's Cup.

President Rajesh Patel confirmed the incentive as a token of our appre­ciation for their hard work and com­mitment to the national team after they defeated defending champions Vanuatu 1-0 in the final at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

Thomas Dunn scored the decisive goal in the 10th minute as Fiji lifted the regional crown for the first time since 2000 and secured its first title since the competition was revived as the MSG Prime Minister's Cup.

"This is a proud and historic achievement for Fiji football. On be­half of the Fiji Football Association, I congratulate our players, coaching staff and officials for the tremendous effort they put in to bring this trophy home," Patel said.

"They represented our country with pride and showed great character throughout the tournament. Winning a championship like this is never easy, and they deserve to be recognised for what they have achieved."

The victory ended a 26-year wait for regional honours and added another chapter to Fiji's strong record in Mel­anesian football.

The competition was first staged as the Melanesia Cup in 1988, with Fiji winning the inaugural tournament. Fiji went on to claim four more titles in 1989, 1992, 1998 and 2000.

The competition was revived in 2022 as the MSG Prime Minister's Cup. Fiji did not compete in the 2023 edi­tion before returning in 2024, when it reached the final only to lose to Papua New Guinea.

Fiji's 2026 triumph was therefore its first championship under the MSG Prime Minister's Cup name. Com­bined with its five Melanesia Cup ti­tles, Fiji now has six regional cham­pionships.

Patel said winning the title on home soil made the achievement even more significant.

"For many years Fiji enjoyed a proud record in the Melanesia Cup, and some of the great names of Fiji football represented our country in this competition," Patel said.

"To see this generation of Bula Boys bring the trophy back to Fiji after 26 years is something special.

"This victory is not only for the players and Fiji FA. It is for every Fijian football fan who has continued to believe in and support our national team."

Patel also praised head coach Stephane Auvray and his technical team for developing the squad and giving opportunities to a new genera­tion of national team players.