The top eight teams in the Digicel Fiji Premier League have secured their places in the Super Premier Division for next month’s FMF Inter-District Championship, which will take place at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The teams that have qualified 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 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 pools of the 2024 FMF IDC is scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva at 11 am. The tournament will run from October 15 to 20.
In another development, three players have been added to the national men’s football team ahead of the FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers. Head coach Rob Sherman confirmed the additions of Leroy Jennings, a midfielder from Sydney United FC; Gabrieli Matanisiga, a defender from Wellington Olympic AFC; and Suva FC defender Kavaia Rawaqa.
These players will be part of a 27-member squad preparing for the qualifiers, which start on October 10 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. National team manager Kartik Reddy emphasized that these additions aim to strengthen the squad as they pursue one of the 1.5 spots available for Oceania Football Confederation teams to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The team will begin training camp on September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, with the final 23-member squad being announced on October 5. Veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu are unavailable for selection due to work obligations. National team captain Roy Krishna is expected to join the squad on October 5 after fulfilling his commitments with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji will compete in Group A against Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. Their first match will be against the Solomon Islands on October 10 in Suva at 7 pm, followed by fixtures against Papua New Guinea on November 14 and New Caledonia on November 17, both at the PNG Football Stadium.