Bula Boys midfielder Ratu Tevita Waranaivalu received the Man of the Match award against New Caledonia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Oceania Qualifiers in Qatar yesterday.
Lautoka marksman Sairusi Nalaubu scored both goals for the Digicel national team in the 2-1 win, however, it was the hard work in midfield that won Waranaivalu the prestigious award.
Speaking to the Oceania Football Confederation, the former Saraswati College student said it was teamwork that gave them the victory.
“After they equalised, we regrouped. We talked amongst us and we said we can’t go out with a draw, we need a win in this game,” he said.
The Fiji Police Force employee added having a player of Roy Krishna’s calibre in the team motivated them to do more.
“He is a big boost to us. He is a role model. Having him in the team is a great advantage to us,” he added.
Waranaivalu and Fiji will take on New Zealand in their next match at 5am on Tuesday.
