THE Fiji All Stars opened their Nations Cup campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Canada in Richmond, British Columbia.
Canada struck first in the opening half, putting pressure on the Fiji side early in the contest.
Fiji responded strongly after the break, producing a determined second-half performance to level the scores after sustained attacking pressure.
Both teams displayed quality football throughout the match and created several near goal-scoring opportunities in an entertaining encounter.
“Down 1-0 at halftime we made adjustments with our formation in the second half,” said co-coach Neil Adrakar.
“The boys battled hard to tie the game and a few chances to take the lead.”
With the opening fixture now behind them, Fiji will regroup and shift focus to tomorrow’s clash against China before concluding pool play against Iran on Sunday at the annual Nations Cup tournament in Richmond.
“We will take today’s result and move forward to face team China where a win is needed,” added Adrakar.
