The top eight teams in the Digicel Fiji Premier League have secured their places in the Super Premier Division for next month’s FMF Inter-District Championship, set to take place at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The teams that have confirmed their participation are Rewa, Labasa, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Navua, Suva, and Nadroga.
Tailevu/Naitasiri and Nasinu have been relegated and will compete in the Premier Division, joined by new entrants 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 11am at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva. The championship will run from October 15 to 20.
In other news, three new players have been added to the national men’s football squad ahead of the 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 a 27-member squad preparing for the qualifiers, with the first round set to begin on October 10 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. National team manager Kartik Reddy emphasized that their addition is intended to bolster the squad’s efforts to secure one of the 1.5 spots available for the OFC for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The national team will convene for training camp on September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, with the final 23-member squad to be announced on October 5. Notably, veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu are unavailable due to work commitments. Captain Roy Krishna is expected to join the team on October 5 after fulfilling his obligations with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji’s national team will compete in Group A alongside the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. Their campaign will kick off against the Solomon Islands on October 10 in Suva, followed by matches against Papua New Guinea on November 14 and New Caledonia on November 17, both scheduled to take place at the PNG Football Stadium.