Extra Supermarket Labasa FC enters the 2025 FMF Inter-District Championship with pride, purpose, and the determination to defend their crown. One of Fiji’s most iconic football clubs, Labasa has long been a force in the country’s footballing history, combining a decorated legacy with the undying passion of its loyal supporters. This year’s IDC at the redeveloped 4R Stadium at Govind Park in Ba provides the perfect backdrop for another dramatic chapter in the Lions’ storied journey.
The 2025 season has already been a remarkable one for the Babasiga Lions. They lifted the BiC Fiji FACT title early in the year, then stamped their authority on knockout football once again by winning the Extra Battle of the Giants. In the Extra Fiji Premier League, Labasa displayed impressive consistency, finishing as runners-up after a campaign marked by resilience and grit. These successes underline their strength as one of the most complete squads in Fiji, while the narrow miss in the league has left them hungrier than ever for more glory at the FMF IDC.
For the Babasiga Lions, Govind Park carries added meaning. Later this season, they returned to Ba after nine years to play on the new 4R Stadium surface in a hotly contested Extra Premier League clash. The match ended in defeat to Ba, a result that stung both players and fans who had traveled in large numbers. That setback, however, has only sharpened their motivation. Now, as defending FMF IDC champions, the Lions are back at Govind Park with the chance to turn past disappointment into triumph, and to defend their crown on the same ground where they had once fallen short.
The FMF IDC has always been a special tournament for the Babasiga Lions. With six titles to their name, including back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020 and a memorable triumph in 2024, the Lions have repeatedly shown they are at their best on the big stage. Central to this success is their bond with fans, the most passionate supporters in Fijian football. Whether in Labasa or on the road, the fans transform stadiums into seas of red, their chants and drums igniting the players and creating an intimidating wall of sound for opponents. It is this unity between the team and its fans that makes the Babasiga Lions so formidable.
In the 2025 FMF IDC, Labasa have been drawn into Group A, where they will face Lautoka, Suva, and Nadi. It’s a group loaded with quality and rivalries, ensuring the defending champions will need to be at their very best from the opening whistle. Matches against Lautoka and Suva in particular promise to be thrilling encounters, while Nadi remain dangerous opponents capable of springing surprises.
This year’s IDC is about more than tactics and results for the Babasiga Lions—it is about pride, redemption, and legacy. They step onto the pitch as defending champions, with a squad that blends the leadership of experienced veterans with the energy of exciting young talents. The Lions have already shown in 2025 that they can rise to the occasion, and now they carry the hopes of the North as they aim to defend their crown on one of the grandest stages of all.
As the tournament unfolds, one thing is certain: the Babasiga Lions will fight not only for trophies, but for the pride of Labasa and the devotion of their fans. Having already conquered two major competitions this year, the Lions now seek to roar the loudest at Govind Park, chasing back-to-back FMF IDC glory and strengthening their place among Fiji’s greatest football dynasties.
