The Nadroga football team secured their place in the 2024 Inter District Championship with an impressive 4-1 win over Tailevu Naitasiri during the Digicel Fiji Premier League at Lawaqa Park yesterday.
Nadroga started the game strongly, scoring three goals in the first half. Semesa Sacere kicked off the scoring, followed by Joel Chand, who doubled the team’s advantage. Abhishek Ram then added a third from the penalty spot, giving Nadroga a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Tailevu Naitasiri showed resilience and came back with renewed determination. Sakiusa Saqiri scored in the 48th minute, offering a glimmer of hope for his team. However, Nadroga quickly extinguished any hopes of a comeback when goalkeeper Sakeo Tageneca scored the fourth goal, also from a penalty, securing the victory for Nadroga.
With this win, Nadroga now has 17 points, five points ahead of both Tailevu Naitasiri and Nasinu, who are level on 12 points each and facing the threat of relegation. As the league nears its end, critical matches await, with Nasinu set to face Nadroga, while Tailevu Naitasiri will take on Lautoka.
In other matches, Navua achieved a narrow 1-0 victory against Nasinu at the Uprising Sports Complex. After a scoreless first half, Jared Rongosulia netted the winning goal from the penalty spot in the second half.
Meanwhile, Suva claimed a surprising 1-0 win over Lautoka at Churchill Park, with Jo Moses scoring the only goal in the first half. Ba secured a late 2-1 victory over Labasa at the Fiji FA Academy Ground, with Faazil Ali scoring the decisive goal in the dying moments of the match. Christopher Wasasala put Labasa ahead in the 18th minute, but Etonia Dogalau equalized 20 minutes later.
The final round of the Digicel Premier League will take place this weekend, after which teams will shift their focus to the IDC in Lautoka next month.