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, Lautoka. 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, along with 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, with the tournament set to occur from October 15 to 20.
In other news, three new players have joined the national men’s football team in preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers, as confirmed by head coach Rob Sherman. The new additions are Leroy Jennings, a midfielder from Sydney United FC, defender Gabrieli Matanisiga from Wellington Olympic AFC, and Suva FC defender Kavaia Rawaqa.
These players are part of a 27-member squad preparing for the qualifiers that will kick off on October 10 at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. Team manager Kartik Reddy stated that their addition is aimed at bolstering the squad for a strong qualification campaign, with the goal of securing one of the 1.5 available spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The national team will begin its training camp on September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, and the final 23-member squad will be announced on October 5. Sadly, veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu are ruled out due to work commitments. Captain Roy Krishna will join the squad on October 5 after fulfilling his obligations with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji has been placed in Group A, alongside the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The team’s campaign will start 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 at the PNG Football Stadium.