The OFC Women’s Nations Cup kicks off tomorrow, Fiji sets eyes on FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Play-Off Tournament
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Women’s Nations Cup hosted in the capital kicks off tomorrow and with it comes the opportunity to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Play-Off Tournament. The tournament, which will decide the final three qualifying spots for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023, will be hosted by New Zealand in February next year.
The Women’s Nations Cup will be held at the newly named HFC Bank Stadium in Suva from tomorrow, July 13 to July 30, and Fiji along with eight other OFC members association have their eyes on the prize.
All overseas teams have already arrived in the country including Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Tonga and Samoa.
The top two teams from each of the three groups will advance to the quarter-finals, alongside the two best-performing third-placed teams. The final will take place on Sunday, July 30 from the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
The Digicel Fiji National Women’s Team has been drawn in Group C alongside New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands and gets their campaign gets underway against the Solomon Islands on Thursday, July 14, followed by their second group stage fixture against New Caledonia on Sunday, July 17.
Head Coach Lisa Cole has selected a mix of regular talent in her 26-member squad including Captain Sofi Diyalowai, forwards Koleta Likuculacula and Jotivini Tabua as well as three 17 year old newcomers from Ba FC like Angeline Rekha, Narieta Leba and Evivi Buka to the squad. She has also added two overseas-based players including forward Trina Davis, who plays in the USA for Washington Rush, and midfielder Vanisha Kumar who plays in Australia for Scots Lions.
The Digicel Fiji National Women’s coach has left no stones unturned in her preparation with the team as they gear up for what could be Fiji’s first real chance to qualify for the World Cup.
Cole who joined in January is confident that her team is ready for the competition before the official tournament begins.
“We feel we are prepared and in a really good place. The preparation has been good, especially with their improvement. It’s been impressed with the improvements from January until now. The players are paying attention to what’s important such as nutrition, fitness, and sleeping habits. They’ve really bought into everything we’ve asked them to do. It’s been really impressive.
With two consecutive wins under their belt in pre-tournament friendlies against Tonga where Fiji won 5-0 and 4-1 against the Cook Islands on Saturday, the national team is ready for their first match this Thursday.
“I’m happy to get the win and to get the game overall. Next we need to get some recovery and get everyone up to fitness and prepare for the next game”.
“The biggest thing [was) to get 90 minutes of fitness. We hadn’t played a 90-minute game against outside competition since March. At that time we didn’t have a good team or the starting team together yet. One of our biggest aims is to get a full game in and look at our substitution pattern. Look at how we do in transition from attack to defence. To fine-tune things. We feel like we are in a good place but when we play somebody else, they present different problems so when we are presented with problems we can see how we are to solve them and on the field.
“Overall the preparation has been great. The players have been tremendous and the staff has worked hard.
Coach Cole’s coaching team includes Assistant Coach Naomi Waqanidrola and goalkeeper Coach Lice Waqailiti who are both former Fiji reps.
Captain Sofi Diyalowai said it was important for the team to put its “best foot forward and give their all”.
“The girls are dedicated and want to win the nation’s cup at any cost. We have been working very hard and we are all ready for this challenge.”
The 28-year-old, who is a regular starter for Digicel Labasa Women’s team said she “wants to ensure that the team improves and works on errors to strengthen itself” as they prepare for their first match.
“What we want to do is to keep growing and improving so that we are a formidable team in Oceania.”
Defender Sindhika Shayal, a school teacher in Labasa who makes her debut at the OFC Women’s Nations Cup for the Fiji national team is looking forward to her first official FIFA-sanctioned match in two days.
“I’ve been trying to be part of the national team for a long time. I’ve been playing for 13 years. I played in Nadroga, Nadi, and Labasa and it’s been a dream of mine to wear the national jersey.”
“We are all here to win and that’s our main goal. We want to give our best and bring the nation’s cup home.”
“I’m in this field to inspire girls and women to encourage them to take the challenge to take up football and sports in general.
I love being a defender. It’s like being in a war. I’m putting my life on the line and I’m part of the line of defence to make sure our opponents don’t go past me.”
The biggest break however is in the form of the youngest player in camp, 17-year-old Angeline Rekha who regularly starts for Ba FC in the Digicel Women’s Super League.
“Being part of the senior women’s national team is a privilege. I want to prove that I’m worthy of this opportunity.”
Rekha who plays as a defender says you need to “believe in yourself and work hard at what you want to achieve”.
Fiji Football Board Executive Naziah Ali said that “there is a strong chance for Fiji to qualify given OFC’s top team New Zealand has automatically qualified as co-host of the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year”.
“As hosts and a regular finalist in previous Women’s Nation Cups it’s important that we not only prepare the team well and field the best players in the country but that we host well and draw a good crowd.
“Women’s football in Fiji has not attracted a lot of spectators in the past but I would like to encourage everyone to come and cheer for our women’s team as they’ve worked hard to get here. The final squad has been named and the players come from all around the country which is a true reflection of what Fiji has to offer. We have the home advantage so I would urge Fijians to come out in full force to support our national team.”
“The respective teams working on the ground are preparing well and I’m positive that we will have a good outcome”.
Fiji squad for the OFC Women’s Nations Cup
Goalkeepers: Seruwaia VASUITOGA (Rewa FC), Mereseini WAQALI (Ba FC), Selai TIKOISUVA (Nadroga FC), Merevesi OFAKIMALINO (Rewa FC).
Defenders: Filomena RACEA (Tailevu Naitasiri FC), Veniana RANADI (Suva FC), Unaisi TUBERI (Labasa FC), Maria VERONIKA (Tailevu Naitasiri FC), Aliza HUSSEIN (Ba FC), Angeline REKHA (Ba FC).
Midfielders: Adi BAKANICEVA (Tailevu Naitasiri FC), Mereoni TORA (Suva FC), Vanisha KUMAR (Scots Lions FC), Cema NASAU (Labasa FC), Jotivini TABUA (Labasa FC), Sofi DIYALOWAI (Labasa FC), Shayal SINDHIKA (Labasa FC), Vivian NAISALUWAKI (Labasa FC), Evivi BUKA (Ba FC).
Forwards: Koleta LIKUCULACULA (Ba FC), Anasimeci VOLITIKORO (Labasa FC), Trina DAVIS (Washington Rush), Luisa TAMANITOAKULA (Ba FC), Narieta LEBA (Ba FC), Imeri NAI (Rewa FC), Timaima VUNIYAYAWA (Rewa FC).
Head coach: Lisa COLE
OFC Women’s Nations Cup Matches
HFC Bank Stadium, Suva (July 13-30)
Wednesday 13th July
7pm
Samoa vs Tonga
Thursday 14th July
4pm
Vanuatu vs PNG
7pm
Solomon Islands vs Fiji
Saturday 16th July
7pm
Tonga vs Cook Islands
Sunday 17th July
4pm
Papua New Guinea vs Tahiti
7pm
Fiji vs New Caledonia
Tuesday 19th July
7pm
Cook Islands vs Samoa
Wednesday 20th July
4pm
Tahiti vs Vanuatu
7pm
New Caledonia vs Solomon Islands
Final July 30
NB: The top two teams from each of the three groups will advance to the quarter-finals, alongside the two best-performing third-placed teams. The final will take place on Sunday, July 30 from the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
FACT FILE
OFC Women’s World Ranking
22 New Zealand
49 Papua New Guinea
69 Fiji
92 Tonga
100 New Caledonia
102 Cook Islands
104 Tahiti
109 Samoa
120 Solomon Islands
121 Vanuatu
142 American Samoa
