Digicel Fiji Junior Kulas head coach Marika Rodu expressed that the team could have performed better during their opening match at the Oceania Football Confederation Women’s Under-16 Championship, held on Sunday at the HFC Bank Stadium. The match ended in a 3-3 draw against Tonga, who made a strong late comeback.
Rodu highlighted the necessity for the team to address its weaknesses and strive for improvement as the tournament progresses. Despite the draw, he praised the players for their goal-scoring efforts, noting that their performance was slightly above average.
“This was the first game, and there’s a lot to learn from it. I believe the girls put in their best effort to score some goals. While the result wasn’t what we wanted, I would rate the performance as slightly above average,” Rodu said.
He acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead in the tournament and emphasized the need for consistency in their play. “We competed fairly, and we will be putting in extra effort for our upcoming matches,” he added.
As the team prepares for their next showdown against the Cook Islands, Rodu stressed the importance of improving their defensive strategy and maintaining confidence with the ball to create more goal-scoring chances.
The Junior Kulas are set to face the Cook Islands tomorrow at 3 pm.