The eight leading teams from the Digicel Fiji Premier League have secured their places in next month’s Super Premier Division of the FMF Inter-District Championship, scheduled to take place at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The confirmed teams are Rewa, Labasa, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Navua, Suva, and Nadroga.
In contrast, Tailevu/Naitasiri and Nasinu have been relegated to the Premier Division, where they will compete alongside Bua, Tavua, Lami, and Seaqaqa. The Senior Division will feature teams such as Savusavu, Taveuni, Nadogo, Dreketi, Rakiraki, and Northland Tailevu.
The draw for the pool of the 2024 FMF IDC will occur next Tuesday, October 1, at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva at 11 a.m. The championship is set to run from October 15-20.
In other news, three players have been added to the national men’s football squad as they prepare for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers. National football head coach Rob Sherman confirmed that midfielder Leroy Jennings from Sydney United FC, defender Gabrieli Matanisiga from Wellington Olympic AFC, and defender Kavaia Rawaqa from Suva FC have joined the 27-member squad ahead of the qualifiers, beginning on October 10 at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
National team manager Kartik Reddy stated that the additions aim to strengthen the squad for a robust qualification campaign, emphasizing their goal to secure the 1.5 spots available to Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The squad will enter camp on September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, with the final 23-member team being announced on October 5.
Veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu will miss out on the squad due to work obligations. Reddy has confirmed that national team captain Roy Krishna will rejoin the squad on October 5, following his commitments with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji has been placed in Group A with the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The national team will kick off their campaign against the Solomon Islands on October 10 in Suva at 7 p.m., followed by matches against Papua New Guinea on November 14 and New Caledonia on November 17, both set to take place at the PNG Football Stadium.