It’s been 13 years since the traditional giants of Fiji Football, Ba FC has not won the Fiji FA Cup Tournament. The Men-in-Black were the first team to lift the Fiji FACT silverware when it was first played in 1991.
With a record number of wins in the tournament and a decade of not winning will be the strength of the Rooster Chicken Ba FC at this year’s Digicel Fiji FACT at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
The return of five Digicel National U-20 players from the FIFA U-20 World Cup will be the key for the Ba side as they will bring huge experience playing top-level football in Argentina.
They didn’t have good outings in the Digicel Fiji Premier League in the first round after playing eight matches they won three, drew two, and lost three. Their last DPL match was a 0-1 defeat to minnows Tailevu Naitasiri FC and for sure coach Imdad Ali has worked out their game plan for the tournament and will come out firing.
They will be out to re-write the history books at this year’s edition of the tournament and will be gunning for their ninth Fiji FACT title. Ba has always been a tournament team and has proven records that even a loss can put them into the finals. They always play with certainty and had the guts to fight till the final whistle which has given them so many victories and the 2023 Digicel Fiji FACT could be a repeat.
With eight titles, seven outright and one shared with Labasa, Ba FC will be out to prove that they are still the traditional champions of Fiji Football.
Ba has a team no doubt can bring back their lost glory with Argentinian midfielder Carlos Rafta, Digicel National U20 reps, Gulam Rasool, Mohammed Raheem, Samuela Navoce, Nabil Begg and Fazil Ali. Former Labasa striker Ratu Anare, national reps Praneel Naidu, Rahul Naresh Peceli Sukabula, Malakai Rere, and Savenaca Nakalevu to name a few.
The Men-in-Black kick off their campaign against Navua FC on Friday, June 9 at 3.30 pm. Ba will face defending champions Suva FC in the second Group A match on Saturday at 7 pm and their final group fixture is up against Lautoka FC on Sunday at 3 pm.
Players to watch: Carlos Rafta and Nabil Begg
Ba FC Fiji FACT File
Runners-Up: 2012, 2013
Winners: 1991,1997, 1998, 2004, 2005,2006, 2007,2010.
