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, to be held at Churchill Park in 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. Meanwhile, the Senior Division will feature teams such as Savusavu, Taveuni, Nadogo, Dreketi, Rakiraki, and Northland Tailevu.
The draw for the pools of the 2024 FMF IDC is scheduled for next Tuesday, October 1, at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva at 11 am. The tournament will take place from October 15 to 20.
In other news, three players have been added to the national men’s football team for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers. National football head coach Rob Sherman announced that Sydney United FC midfielder Leroy Jennings, Wellington Olympic AFC defender Gabrieli Matanisiga, and Suva FC defender Kavaia Rawaqa are the new inclusions in the 27-member squad.
These additions aim to bolster the team’s strength as they prepare for a strong showing in the qualifiers, which commence on October 10 at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. National team manager Kartik Reddy emphasized the goal of securing 1.5 spots available for OFC to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The squad will begin 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. However, veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu will miss out due to work commitments. Reddy also confirmed that team captain Roy Krishna will join the squad on October 5 after fulfilling his commitments with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji has been placed in Group A, facing off against the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The team will start their campaign against the Solomon Islands on October 10 in Suva at 7 pm, before taking on Papua New Guinea on November 14 and New Caledonia on November 17 at the PNG Football Stadium.