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, set to take place at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The confirmed teams are Rewa, Labasa, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Navua, Suva, and Nadroga. Meanwhile, Tailevu/Naitasiri and Nasinu have been relegated to the Premier Division, where they will be joined by Bua, Tavua, Lami, and Seaqaqa.
In the Senior Division, teams such as Savusavu, Taveuni, Nadogo, Dreketi, Rakiraki, and Northland Tailevu will compete. The pool draws for the 2024 FMF IDC are scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, at 11 AM at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva. The championship will be held from October 15 to 20.
In other news, three new players have been added to the national men’s football squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers, as confirmed by national coach Rob Sherman. The new additions include midfielder Leroy Jennings from Sydney United FC, defender Gabrieli Matanisiga from Wellington Olympic AFC, and defender Kavaia Rawaqa from Suva FC.
These players are part of the 27-member squad preparing for the qualifiers, which begin on October 10 at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. Team manager Kartik Reddy stated that their inclusion aims to bolster the squad for a strong performance as they strive to secure 1.5 qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The squad will enter camp on September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, with the final 23-member roster to be announced on October 5. Unfortunately, veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu will miss out due to work commitments. National team captain Roy Krishna is expected to join the team on October 5 after fulfilling his club 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 national team will kick off 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 set for the PNG Football Stadium.