The Digicel Fiji under-16 women’s football team is aiming for a victory against Samoa in their final pool match this Saturday to secure the top position in Group A of the OFC U16 Women’s Championship. This win is critical as it would help them avoid a likely semi-final matchup with New Zealand from Group B.
Following their 2-0 victory over the Cook Islands recently, Fiji’s coach, Marika Rodu, emphasized the need to improve their defense to prevent any mistakes in the upcoming match against Samoa. “Our focus is on scoring and winning the game, which will position us to top the pool,” Rodu stated.
He noted the importance of ensuring a stronger defensive performance compared to their previous match. “We need to go out there, keep our defense organized, and perform better than we did today,” he added.
Rodu acknowledged that the team learned valuable lessons from their 3-3 draw against Tonga in their opening match and is ready to implement necessary changes to enhance their performance against Samoa. “We’ve identified a few adjustments to make, which should help elevate our game. We aim to incrementally improve with each match,” he mentioned.
Currently, Samoa leads Group A with 6 points after defeating Tonga 2-0, following a dominant 10-0 win over the Cook Islands in their opening game.
Fiji will face Samoa at 3 PM at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.