Rhyme a reason for celebration

Opinions / Analysis

FIJI’S ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar isn’t anything to celebrate about.

The team got beat to a pulp, 7-1 in the pool game to New Zealand and again in the final 3-1, who won the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship for a record ninth time.

The results suggest the 'thinkers' don’t 'know' the level of competition at the World Cup and what the team will be up against.

Fiji always finds it hard to beat regional powerhouse, New Zealand, worse enough, nothing good comes out of it in the way of improving the standard of the sport in the country.

Help or lack of it

The Fiji Football Association hasn’t been much help when it comes to improving the sport in the country.

They harp about it, but that’s all to it, the results don’t lie.

If winning against the Island Nation teams is all the satisfaction they get, then keep stomping the same paddock for thrills and feel like champions.

But if they plan on being the regional champions and beyond, they must first beat New Zealand.

The problem is, with the current style and form the team isn’t going anywhere.

They need to put more focus on the training and development, strategize the game plan and then go on to face the world.

Losing to New Zealand has become a chronic problem, a given fact that no one can challenge because there isn’t any.

Relocation

If the Fiji U-17 team wants to compete, they need to relocate either to New Zealand or Australia.

It is where the real competition is.

The players need quality training under advanced training facilities, and play regional clubs to gauge their strengths and weaknesses.

Under good coach

The players need to be coached by coaches and not coaches who need coaching.

Football legend Diego Maradona said ‘practicality brings perfection in coaches’.

In Fiji, it’s the book-smart coaches who hadn’t kicked a ball a day in their lives become coaches, and the far and few expatriates aren’t any experts of the game.

And with these coaches the players don’t cut it in tactical and technical aspects of the game, shy on know-how's of the sport of football.

Action, not words

Unless FFA wants to be represented for a world audience, they must do something about it or get obliterated.

Let it be known the OFC U-16 qualifier isn’t the best of competition on display, FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar is, where football talents are in abundance with quality players and even better nations who are ready to blow up a masterpiece performance.

Travel destination Dubai

For the U-17 team, the planned travel destination for Dubai, is all about going places.

And there’s just nothing to celebrate or cheer on, when the celebrants would jeer them by the games.