The fact that Lautoka and Ba have won promotion to next year’s Skipper Cup competition will please their fans.
That fact isn’t lost to fans of both teams.
The Maroons have had a taste of top level rugby and have won the coveted Farebrother Sullivan Trophy along the way.
Ba, obviously, will be the team that attracts a lot of attention this time around. And that’s for many reasons. For starters, the township is better known for soccer. In fact Ba has a very proud history when it comes to soccer.
They have unleashed many household names.
If we are to go through names, they include the likes of the Delai brothers of Meli and Lote, Julie and Vimal Sami, Akuila Rova, Taito Bula, Esala and Osea Masi, Meli Vuilabasa, Jone Nakosia, Farouk Janeman, Bale Raniga, Arif Azam Khan, Iosefo Vosaboto, Allen Jesoni, Ravuama Madigi, Shiu Sami, Josaia Tubuna, Afroz Ali, Epeli Rokoqica, Inia Bola, Valerio Nasema, Teti Vosa, Semi Tabaiwalu and Josaia Dau to name a few.
They were famous. Ba soccer made them famous! In fact they attracted the imagination of Ba fans at the height of their popularity and achievements on the soccer field. Their names were mentioned in newspapers, on the radio and on television.
Youngsters tried to emulate their feats of magic on the soccer field.
Whenever Ba played at Govind Park, the fans took up every seat on the pavilions. Because Ba at the time did not really have too many entertainment centres, watching soccer on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon was the thing to do.
The crowds turned up in large numbers and soccer thrived. It seems rugby in Ba is now set to take off with its entry into the Skipper Cup competition in the new season. The amazing two seasons by the Fijian Drua in the Super Rugby Pacific competition has obviously attracted attention and the imagination of youngsters in Ba.
It also makes sense when you factor in big names in rugby from Ba.
The likes of Flying Fijians second five-eighth Josua Tuisova, former winger Filimoni Delasau, sevens star Waisea Nacuqu and former sevens forwards Gabirieli Naborosi and big Pio Tuwai to name a few.
Now we ask the governing Fiji Football Association the important question of what is happening to our soccer?
Where are we headed as a soccer-loving nation? Again we say, steadily heading south isn’t the way we want our soccer brand to go.
But with all that is happening, or the lack of it, that appears to be the direction we appear to be heading. We lack the will to make it to the next FIFA World Cup, and are languishing on one of those high digit numbers in the world rankings.
We have dropped a spot and are actually sitting on 169 on the FIFA World Rankings now.
Our neighbours, Australia, a team we had defeated twice before, 1-0 in 1977 and 1-0 in 1988, are on number 27.
New Zealand, another team we have defeated five times: 4-0 in 1980, 2-0 in 1983, 2-0 in 1988, 1-0 in 1988 and 2-0 in 2008 are on number 103.
Teams we once defeated on the field like the Solomon Islands are on 133, Papua New Guinea are on 159, New Caledonia are on 161, Tahiti are on 162, and Vanuatu on 165. Fans want to know what is wrong.
We have had top assistance from the governing body FIFA over the years.
We have top soccer fields, and academies. We have talented youngsters who need a platform to show what they can do. We say bring back club soccer. Promote that.
Nurture a following. Again we say, get a pathway to district level soccer. And get our national side playing more internationals and winning! Fans want something to look forward to.
Fans want to see the national soccer side playing at the FIFA World Cup and doing well. Our players want recognition.
They want competition and something to aim for, from club level, age group representative level, to district level and on to the national side.
We must have the will to make that happen!
There must be a change in mind-set! Isa!
