Fiji Under-19 men’s head coach Marika Rodu is confident the final squad selected to represent the country has the quality and commitment needed to compete at the upcoming OFC U-19 Men’s Championship in Samoa.
Following an extensive nationwide and overseas talent identification process, Rodu said he was satisfied with the group that had earned the opportunity to wear the national colours.
“I’m convinced with the boys that we’ve worked with through the trial process. We had a fair idea of what the other players had to offer, but we feel that the players we have selected are satisfactory and they should be able to do the job in Samoa,” Rodu said.
Rodu said one of the major qualities he looked for during selection was a genuine desire to represent Fiji.
“The qualities I looked at were players who are genuine for the cause, players who have come with a purpose and who have used this opportunity to showcase their talent,” he said.
“We wanted players who really want to be here, not just making up the numbers, but who are competitive at every training session and in all our games.”
Rodu said this commitment also had to be complemented by technical ability and a strong understanding of the game.
Fiji’s selection process was extensive, with trials conducted around the country before the coaching staff also travelled to New Zealand for a two-day trial in July.
Players based in countries including New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Dubai and the United States were also considered during the process.
However, Rodu does not want any distinction made between locally based and overseas-based players in the final squad.
“It would not be right to make this separation of overseas-based and local-based players. I see them as all Fijians and all of them have the eligibility to represent Fiji,” Rodu said.
“The expectations for all players are the same — to represent Fiji with pride and also do their best to be competitive.”
Rodu said every member of the 23-member squad would have an important role during the championship, regardless of whether they were in the starting line-up.
“Everybody has a role to play, whether they are a starter or a non-starter. We are a team of 23 and we should support each other and keep the standard up for the championship.”
The OFC U-19 Men’s Championship will provide Fiji’s young players with an opportunity to test themselves against the region’s best, with qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup the ultimate prize.
