Traditional footballing giants will be out for revenge at this year’s Punja’s Battle of the Giants Tournament in Lautoka.
A string of defeats in the Digicel Premier League lately has disappointed Ba’s fans and surprised many fans around the country.
Coach Imdad Ali now has to come up with a strategy for success at the eagerly anticipated Punjas BOG.
Ali will have to do so without some key players the side lost in the mid-season transfer window. He will have to use his young guns to fire on the Men in Black who answered the call of duty recently and inclusion of Vanuatu national midfielder Claude Aru.
History is on Ba’s side for the Punjas BOG. The Men-in-Black has won the prestigious title for 17 times; the latest in 2018 defeating Suva 2-0 at the same venue.
Churchill Park has proven to be a happy hunting ground for them, as the venue for eight of their 17 wins.
Ardent fans would remember Ba winning the first ever BOG trophy in 1979, beating Rewa 4-2 on penalty kicks at Churchill Park. In 1981they defeated Lautoka 2-0 in the final. Lautoka was again the losing finalist in the 1992 final against Ba. Ba achieved back-to-back BOG titles in 1999 and 2000, defeating Tavua and Labasa respectively. In 2009 again they played the final with Lautoka and won 1-0 and in their last win in 2018 BOG, they defeated Labasa 2-1.
Football fans can rest assured that the ‘conveyor belt’ of talent from Ba will be on show at the Punjas BOG, with an array of fresh, talented youngsters looking to restore lost pride.
Ba will start its campaign against Navua on the opening day of the Punjas BOG 2022 (Friday, August 26) at 4 pm. They face Lautoka on Saturday at 5 pm and will play their final Group A match against Rewa on Sunday at 3 pm.
