The top eight teams from 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 will be relegated to the Premier Division, where they will compete alongside Bua, Tavua, Lami, and Seaqaqa. In the Senior Division, teams such as Savusavu, Taveuni, Nadogo, Dreketi, Rakiraki, and Northland Tailevu will participate.
The pool draws for the 2024 FMF Inter-District Championship are scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva at 11 am. The tournament will run from October 15 to 20.
In related news, three players have been added to the national men’s football squad for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers, as confirmed by national football head coach Rob Sherman. The new players are midfielder Leroy Jennings from Sydney United FC, defender Gabrieli Matanisiga from Wellington Olympic AFC, and defender Kavaia Rawaqa from Suva FC.
These players have been included in the 27-member squad as the team prepares for the qualifiers, starting with the first round on October 10 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. National team manager Kartik Reddy stated that their inclusion is intended to bolster the squad’s strength for a successful campaign, aiming to secure the 1.5 spots available for OFC qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The team will gather for training camp starting September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, with the final 23-member squad to be announced on October 5. Veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu will miss out due to work commitments, while national team captain Roy Krishna is expected to join the squad on October 5 after fulfilling his obligations with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji is placed in Group A along 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 at 7 pm in Suva, 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.