Tuimasi Manuca, a former midfielder for Ba Football Club and a six‑time Fiji international, has died after a battle with cancer, the club confirmed on Friday. Manuca passed away surrounded by loved ones, leaving the Ba football community and former teammates grieving the loss of one of the town’s most recognisable players.
Manuca was a fixture of the Men in Black between 2005 and 2009, a period club officials say he wore the Ba jersey with “fierce pride” and helped define an era at Govind Park. He later took his talents overseas with a spell at Hekari United in Papua New Guinea before returning to Ba to finish his playing career, a homecoming that fans remember fondly.
Overseas and at home, Manuca also carried the national mantle, appearing six times for the Fiji national football team. Those caps, club officials and supporters said, offered moments of joy and national pride that will be long remembered in Ba and beyond.
Ba Football Club president Praneel Dayal paid tribute to Manuca on Friday, saying his passing “leaves a heavy void” in the town. Dayal described Manuca not only as a committed player but as a devoted father and friend who fought his illness with determination. “The stands will feel a little emptier today, and our hearts a lot heavier,” Dayal said, adding that the club would ensure Manuca’s name and contributions would not be forgotten in the streets of Ba.
Manuca’s death comes at a time when cancer care remains an issue of public debate in Fiji. In recent months the government has said there are no plans for a standalone cancer hospital, while announcing work under a public‑private partnership to establish radiotherapy services at Lautoka and Ba hospitals and a review of the Radiation Health Act to enable local radiotherapy. Manuca’s passing has prompted reflection among supporters about the personal toll of cancer in communities across the country.
Funeral and memorial arrangements have not been publicly released. Club officials and community members have begun sharing condolences and memories of Manuca’s on‑field commitment and off‑field character, vowing to keep his legacy alive in Ba’s football culture.
Leave a comment