The eight leading teams in the Digicel Fiji Premier League have secured their places in the Super Premier Division of the FMF Inter-District Championship, which will take place at Churchill Park in Lautoka next month. The confirmed teams are Rewa, Labasa, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Navua, Suva, and Nadroga.
Tailevu/Naitasiri and Nasinu have been relegated and will compete in the Premier Division, which will also include 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 11 am at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva. The tournament will run from October 15 to 20.
In related news, three players have been added to the national men’s football squad in preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers, as confirmed by head coach Rob Sherman. The new players are Leroy Jennings, a midfielder from Sydney United FC; Gabrieli Matanisiga, a defender from Wellington Olympic AFC; and Kavaia Rawaqa, a defender from Suva FC.
These additions are part of a 27-member squad ahead of the qualifiers, which kick off with the first round on October 10 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. Team manager Kartik Reddy emphasized that these players will enhance the squad’s strength in their pursuit for the available qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Reddy noted that the team is focused on achieving one of the 1.5 spots allocated to the Oceania Football Confederation. The squad will begin its training camp on September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, with the final 23-member squad set to be announced on October 5. Veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu are unavailable due to work commitments. National team captain Roy Krishna will join the squad on October 5 after fulfilling his obligations with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji finds itself in Group A, alongside the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The national team will start 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, both at the PNG Football Stadium.