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, which will take place at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The confirmed teams are Rewa, Labasa, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Navua, Suva, and Nadroga.
Tailevu/Naitasiri and Nasinu have been relegated to play in the Premier Division, where they will be joined by 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 next Tuesday, October 1, at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva at 11 a.m. The tournament will run from October 15 to 20.
In other news, three players have been added to the national men’s football squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers, as confirmed by head coach Rob Sherman. The new inclusions are Leroy Jennings from Sydney United FC, defender Gabrieli Matanisiga from Wellington Olympic AFC, and Suva FC defender Kavaia Rawaqa. These players join the 27-member squad ahead of the qualifiers, which commence on October 10 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
National team manager Kartik Reddy stated that the aim is to strengthen the squad for a robust performance in the qualifiers. “We aim to secure one of the 1.5 spots available to OFC for qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Reddy. The squad will gather for training 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 have been ruled out due to work commitments. Captain Roy Krishna is expected to join the team on October 5 following his obligations with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji is placed in Group A alongside the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The national team will begin 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 at the PNG Football Stadium.