The eight leading teams in the Digicel Fiji Premier League have secured their positions for next month’s Super Premier Division of the FMF Inter-District Championship at Churchill Park, Lautoka. The confirmed teams include Rewa, Labasa, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Navua, Suva, and Nadroga.
Tailevu/Naitasiri and Nasinu have been relegated to the Premier Division, where they will be accompanied by 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 Tuesday, October 1, at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva at 11 am. The championship will take place from October 15 to 20.
In other news, three players have been added to the national men’s football squad ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers, as confirmed by head coach Rob Sherman. The new additions are Leroy Jennings from Sydney United FC, Gabrieli Matanisiga from Wellington Olympic AFC, and Kavaia Rawaqa from Suva FC. These players will be part of a 27-member squad as they prepare for the qualifiers, starting with the first round on October 10 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
National team manager Kartik Reddy stated that these additions aim to bolster the squad for a strong performance in the qualifiers, as they seek to claim the 1.5 spots allocated for Oceania Football Confederation teams 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 lineup being announced on October 5.
Veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu will miss out 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 has been placed in Group A alongside the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The national team will begin their campaign against the Solomon Islands on October 10 in Suva at 7 pm, and will face Papua New Guinea on November 14 and New Caledonia on November 17, both matches to take place at the PNG Football Stadium.