Lautoka secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Navua in a tense opening match of Group A at the 2024 FMF Inter District Championship (IDC) held at Churchill Park. The team, coached by Shivam Raj, had a strong start, dominating the first half and scoring two quick goals within two minutes.
Lanky forward Saula Waqa opened the scoring in the 26th minute by effectively striking a free-kick taken by Zibraaz Sahib. Two minutes later, midfielder Sitiveni Cavuilagi increased Lautoka’s lead after expertly chipping the ball over the Navua goalkeeper, Jovilisi Borisi, who was caught off his line. Lautoka went into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Navua showed resilience in the second half, with the agile Thomas Dunn creating several scoring opportunities. However, tensions escalated as players began to lose their composure, leading referee Neeshil Varman to issue multiple cards, including a red card to Lautoka’s left-back Sakaraia Naisua after receiving a second yellow.
In a dramatic turn of events, Jared Rongosulia from the Solomon Islands scored for Navua after veteran keeper Beniamino Mateinaqara mishandled his shot, allowing the ball to cross the line. This goal set up a thrilling finish as Navua sought to equalize.
But in the dying moments of the match, a long clearance from Mateinaqara found Sairusi Nalaubu, who coolly slotted the ball past Borisi to secure the win for Lautoka.
Navua will next face Flick Hygiene Suva at 2 PM tomorrow, while Lautoka is set to take on Extra Supermarket Labasa in the featured Day 2 match at 8 PM.