The top eight clubs in the Digicel Fiji Premier League points standings have secured their places in next month’s Super Premier Division of the FMF Inter-District Championship, which will take place at Churchill Park in Lautoka. The confirmed clubs are Rewa, Labasa, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Navua, Suva, and Nadroga.
Tailevu/Naitasiri and Nasinu have been relegated to the Premier Division, where they will be joined by Bua, Tavua, Lami, and Seaqaqa. The Senior Division will feature teams such as Savusavu, Taveuni, Nadogo, Dreketi, Rakiraki, and Northland Tailevu.
The draw for the 2024 FMF IDC pools is scheduled for next Tuesday, October 1, at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva at 11 am. The tournament will run from October 15 to 20.
In other news, three players have been added to the national men’s football team in preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifiers. This announcement was made by national football head coach Rob Sherman, who confirmed the inclusion of midfielder Leroy Jennings from Sydney United FC, defender Gabrieli Matanisiga from Wellington Olympic AFC, and defender Kavaia Rawaqa from Suva FC.
These players are part of a 27-member squad ahead of the qualifiers, which will commence with the first round on October 10 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. National team manager Kartik Reddy stated that these additions are intended to strengthen the team, as they aim for a successful campaign to secure one of the 1.5 spots available for qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The squad will convene on September 29 at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba, with the final 23-member team to be announced on October 5. Notably, veteran defender Remueru Tekiata and Muni Shivam Naidu will not be part of the squad due to work commitments. Captain Roy Krishna is expected to join the team on October 5 following his club obligations with Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.
Fiji will compete in Group A against the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. The national team will begin its campaign against the Solomon Islands on October 10 in Suva at 7 pm, followed by matches against Papua New Guinea on November 14 and New Caledonia on November 17, both at the PNG Football Stadium.