Team issues were apparent in the disappointing performance of Tailevu Naitasiri, who suffered a 1-2 defeat to Navua in round 16 of the Digicel Fiji Premier League on Sunday at Ratu Cakobau Park in Nausori. The loss highlights the struggles faced by the team, which now sits in ninth place.
Head coach Priyant Manu expressed his disappointment, pointing to a lack of focus and belief among the players. The late withdrawal of three senior players further compounded the team’s difficulties.
“It was a disappointing performance; we knew what we had to do, but I think the boys lost hope and concentration,” Manu stated. “We faced challenges when three of our senior players stepped down just 11 hours before the match, forcing us to scramble for replacements.”
Despite controlling parts of the game, the team had trouble finding the net and fell behind early, which affected their morale. “The boys were demoralized after conceding an easy goal in the first half, and their morale continued to drop. Although there was a good fight in the second half, we couldn’t equalize.”
Looking ahead to their next match against Nadroga, Manu stressed the importance of improving defensive tactics and ball movement to achieve a better result. Despite the setback, he remains hopeful about the team’s potential and is determined to rebound in the upcoming game.
He urged fans to keep supporting the team and maintain faith in their abilities, especially with the recent introduction of new players.
Nadroga will face Tailevu Naitasiri at 1pm this Sunday at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka. In other fixtures scheduled for Sunday at 3pm, Ba will host Labasa at the Fiji FA Academy Ground in Ba, Nadi will take on Rewa at Prince Charles Park, Lautoka will compete against Suva at Churchill Park, and Navua will face Nasinu at the Uprising Sports Complex in Pacific Harbour.