A shot for the goalmouth helped cement Rusiate Waqa’s name into the annals of Fijian football history when he helped Nadi win the inaugural Battle of the Giants in 1978.
Waqa, who had acquired a formidable reputation for his brilliance as a striker in the green Nadi jersey up until that point, had placed the winning goal against Ba by maneuvering his way past Bale Raniga to beat the men in black 1-0.
“I scored the winning goal for the team, and we were the first team to win the Battle of the Giants, which started in that year in Govind Park, Ba,” Waqa shared in an interview with this newspaper last month.
The interview with Waqa took place during the 2025 BiC Fiji FACT grand final between Labasa and Rewa, at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
Reflecting on Nadi’s progression through the inaugural tournament, he recalled the way in which they prepared for it and won it, in front of a packed Govind Park in Ba.
“Well, at that time, the Nadi team at the time was very good so we were able to notch more glories than this time so what I can see is that at the time we had our heads together and build up for the name of soccer which carried us for a long time till now.”
In sealing the win for Nadi, he opened the door to what would be the opportunity for him to help the green brigade win the Battle of the Giants four times in 1978, 1980, 1983 and 1986 and six National Football League titles.
The former striker also represented the country at international friendlies, and crucial matches such as FIFA World Cup elimination matches locally and abroad.
With the Battle of the Giants starting this week, he also wishes all teams the very best as it kicks off this Friday at Subrail Park in Labasa.
