Former Fiji Football Association’s technical director Ravinesh Kumar is impressed with the final selection of the Digicel Fiji football team that will participate in the all-important 2022 Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) preliminary qualifiers later in the month.
Kumar said the Bula Boys were composed with a good mixture of footballers.
“The squad selected shows a blend of youth and experience,” he said from New Zealand.
“The chosen ones are blended with senior and youth players.
“The experienced players will help and guide the younger ones.
“It’s noteworthy that our national head coach Flemming Serritslev had identified those players according to his playing style model and the players identified were probably selected with their ability levels to suit Flemming’s playing style model.
“I believe the team had good preparation back home in Fiji prior to their departure for Qatar. “I expect them to raise the levels further during the OFC Qualifiers.
“The team has a very good mixture of players.”
The former national U20 football coach, who had masterminded Fiji’s participation to its first football world cup in any age-group in 2014 out of 211 member countries added he was elated to witness a continuity about the Bula Boys.
“The other thing which is impressive about this team is that there is continuity of a majority of players, who were part of former national football team head coach Christophe Gamel’s team.
“It means that those players had been playing together for quite some time now hence will be able to jell together as a team and communicate effectively on and off the field of play easily in a team environment.
“They will adapt to the coach’s game plans for each match.
“I believe the Fiji FA had recruited two very excellent national head coach’s for the senior men’s team in Christophe and Flemming.
“I’m of the firm belief that our Bula Boys will definitely do the nation proud.
“Please support our Bula Boys always!”
Kumar was the most highly-decorated football coach in the country before migrating to the “Land of the Big White Clouds” early last year.
Meanwhile, the 22-member Bula Boys departed the country on Saturday morning, March 5 for Doha, Qatar via Sydney, Australia.
The Roy Krishna-captained side is in Group B and kicks off their campaign against Bertrand Kai’s New Caledonia on March 18, battles Sarpreet Singh’s New Zealand on March 21 in their second group match and round off the pool matches against Tommy Semmy’s Papua New Guinea on March 24.
