LIKE most teams, the Fiji women’s football team will aim for gold at the Pacific Games in Samoa.
“We’re trying to develop and get the players up, fine tune into having a winning mentality so that we can set our first game in the right tune, right rhythm to set up the whole platform for the tournament,” national women’s football coach Marika Rodu said.
Rodu said they were in an “interesting” pool with all five teams trying to be the winner as there was no semi-final in football.
“Our ultimate goal is to win gold obviously,” he said.
He said all the teams will come prepared, some with their overseas-based players.
“It’s for us to manage our game and the first priority now is to qualify for the gold medal playoff,” Rodu said.
Meanwhile, football was first included in the Pacific Games in 1963. Since 2007, the event has doubled as a preliminary qualification for Olympics.
This year’s results will contribute towards FIFA rankings for the Pacific teams.
A total of 12 countries will be participating in the football tournament which will be played over twelve days at the Toleafoa J. S. Blatter Soccer Fields at the Faleata Complex.
The national women’s football team will play their first game on July 8 against American Samoa.
