The top eight teams in the Digicel Fiji Premier League have secured their places in next month’s Super Premier Division of the FMF Inter-District Championship, to be held at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The qualified teams include Rewa, Labasa, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Navua, Suva, and Nadroga.
Tailevu/Naitasiri and Nasinu have been relegated and will compete in the Premier Division, alongside newly promoted Bua, Tavua, Lami, and Seaqaqa. The Senior Division will feature teams such as Savusavu, Taveuni, Nadogo, Dreketi, Rakiraki, and Northland Tailevu.
The pool draws for the 2024 FMF IDC are scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, at 11 am at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva. The tournament will take place from October 15 to 20.
In other news, three new players have been added to the national men’s football squad in preparation for the FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers, as confirmed by head coach Rob Sherman. The newcomers are Leroy Jennings, a midfielder from Sydney United FC; Gabrieli Matanisiga, a defender from Wellington Olympic AFC; and Suva FC defender Kavaia Rawaqa.
These players join the 27-member squad ahead of the qualifiers, which begin with the first round on October 10 at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. National team manager Kartik Reddy stated that their inclusion is aimed at strengthening the squad for a competitive campaign, targeting the available 1.5 spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The national team will commence training camp on September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, with the final 23-member squad to be named on October 5. Veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu are ruled out due to work commitments. It was confirmed that captain Roy Krishna will join the team on October 5 following his duties with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji has been placed in Group A with Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The team will open their campaign against the Solomon Islands on October 10 in Suva at 7 pm, followed by matches against Papua New Guinea on November 14 and New Caledonia on November 17 at the PNG Football Stadium.