The Fiji Football Association has issued a strong warning to districts regarding the consequences of not following the terms and conditions of participation in various competitions.
This comes after a recent Digicel Women’s Senior League match between Navua and Lami was abandoned due to Lami’s inability to field the required minimum of seven players. Navua began the match with 11 players, while Lami could only muster seven. The referee called off the game towards the end of the first half when a Lami player was injured and unable to continue.
As per competition and FIFA regulations, a match cannot proceed unless each team has at least seven players on the field. At the point of abandonment, Navua was leading with a score of 1-0.
Fiji FA chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf stated that they will await the referee’s report before determining any further actions. “The regulations are very clear. All districts have signed the regulations. The districts can be fined and brought before the competitions committee to explain why they did not have enough players and replacements,” Yusuf said.
This situation is concerning for women’s football in Fiji, especially following the recent participation of the Junior Kulas in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia earlier this month. The Fiji women’s national team is ranked 72nd globally and third in Oceania, trailing behind New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.