The top eight teams of the Digicel Fiji Premier League have secured their places in the upcoming Super Premier Division of the FMF Inter-District Championship, which will take place next month at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The qualified teams include Rewa, Labasa, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Navua, Suva, and Nadroga.
Tailevu/Naitasiri and Nasinu have been relegated and will compete in the Premier Division, joining teams from Bua, Tavua, Lami, and Seaqaqa. The Senior Division will feature Savusavu, Taveuni, Nadogo, Dreketi, Rakiraki, and Northland Tailevu.
The pool draws for the 2024 FMF IDC are scheduled to occur next Tuesday, October 1, at 11am at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva. The championship is set to run from October 15 to 20.
In other news, three players have been added to the national men’s football squad in preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers. National football head coach Rob Sherman confirmed the inclusion of Sydney United FC midfielder Leroy Jennings, Wellington Olympic AFC defender Gabrieli Matanisiga, and Suva FC defender Kavaia Rawaqa. These players are part of the 27-member squad, which will start its qualifiers campaign with the first round on October 10 at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
National team manager Kartik Reddy stated that their addition is aimed at strengthening the squad for a strong performance in the qualifiers. “We aim to secure the 1.5 spots available to OFC for qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Reddy remarked. The team will assemble on September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, with the final 23-member squad to be announced on October 5.
Notable absences include veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu due to work commitments. Team captain Roy Krishna is expected to join the squad 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, beginning its campaign against the Solomon Islands on October 10 in Suva at 7pm. The team will then face Papua New Guinea on November 14 and New Caledonia on November 17, with both matches scheduled at the PNG Football Stadium.