Heavy rain caused unplayable ground conditions, resulting in a two-hour delay during the FMF Inter District Championship at Lautoka’s Churchill Park yesterday. The Labasa team, coached by Ravneel Pratap, was scheduled to face Navua at 4 p.m., but the match was postponed to 6 p.m. pending an inspection of the field by officials from the Fiji Football Association and referees.
Jitendra Reddy, head of Fiji Referees, emphasized the importance of ensuring the ground meets safety standards for players. He noted the adverse weather had impacted the pitch significantly. “Given the conditions, the committee decided to delay the game, but we aim to complete all group matches, assessing each situation as it arises,” Reddy explained, underscoring that player safety is the top priority.
As of now, Rewa and Labasa have secured their places in tomorrow’s semi-finals.
In another match, the Nadi team, under coach Raj Dayal, continued their fight for a semi-final berth, defeating Nadroga 4-1. Nadi entered halftime with a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Siotame Kubu and Ratu Tulivou. Although Nadroga managed to score through Semesa Sacere, Nadi responded decisively with goals from William Valentine in the 77th minute and a second from Kubu, sealing the match at 4-1.
Nadi will now await the result of the Rewa versus Ba match to determine their chances of advancing. For Nadi to qualify for the semi-finals, Ba must win by at least two goals. Nadi Football Association president Mohin Rafiq expressed his hopes: “Nadi has four points and will be rooting for Rewa to either draw or lose by just one goal. The team worked hard following our previous defeat. We knew Nadroga would be a tough opponent.”
Meanwhile, the match between Lautoka and Suva will also be crucial in deciding which team joins Labasa in the semi-finals. These matches were still ongoing as this report was being finalized.