Former Ba and national soccer team captain Allan Jesoni makes a few important points that deserve attention.
He has called for more international matches for the national men’s side.
Soccer players in the country, he insists, need more exposure at the international level for us to win tournaments. His reaction comes in the wake of the national men’s side settling for a bronze medal at the Pacific Games.
Fiji played four matches — winning two, losing one, and drawing one. Once a powerhouse in the Pacific, Fiji has failed to make a mark on the international stage in recent years.
Like Jesoni, 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? 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 are heading.
We lack the will to make it to the next FIFA World Cup and are languishing on one of those high digit numbers on the world rankings.
We sit on 170 on the FIFA World Rankings for November 30. Our neighbours, Australia, a team we had defeated twice before, 1-0 in 1977 and 1-0 in 1988, are on number 25.
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 104.
Teams we once defeated on the field like the Solomon Islands are on 132, New Caledonia are on 160, Tahiti are on 164, Papua New Guinea are on 165, and Vanuatu on 168.
Jesoni believes the Fiji FA should arrange more matches against Oceania teams.
“Play New Zealand, play Tahiti, play New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands. Invite any other team that can come across taking into account the logistics and fundings involved,” Jesoni said. In the face of that, fans want to know what is wrong.
We have had top assistance from the world body FIFA over the years. We have top soccer fields, and academies yet we have shown no signs of development at all.
So we say bring back club soccer. Promote that. Promote a pathway to district level soccer and get our national side playing more internationals and winning!
Talk about the possibility of breaking into the A-League for instance. 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.
There must be a change in mindset! Jesoni has spoken out and he means well! Our soccer needs a revamp! Urgently!
