Former Ba and national football representative Salen Lal has been appointed head coach of Nadi FC for the upcoming FMF Inter-District Championship (IDC) at 4R Stadium, Govind Park in Ba.
Speaking to this newspaper, Lal, who arrived from Australia over the weekend, headed straight to the Nadi FC training field on Wednesday afternoon.
“I will be coaching Nadi for the IDC. I have been with them previously, and when they approached me, I agreed. With the coaching licence I have, I will try and do my best,” Lal said.
“I understand the time is very short, but we have young players and very hardworking officials. Nadi will go into this year’s tournament as underdogs.”
“I Nadi performance during the League was not good, so I will try to improve that. We need players who will wear that green jersey with district pride and passion,” Lal added.
In a statement to Fiji Football Media, Nadi Football Association president Mohammed Mohin said Lal’s leadership would bring renewed energy and direction as the team prepares for Fiji’s premier football tournament.
“Shalen Lal is a proven leader who understands the local game at the highest level. His experience as both a player and coach will be invaluable as we aim to make a strong statement at the FMF IDC,” Mohin said.
Mohin also confirmed that the association has applied for clearance of several overseas players through the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) process to strengthen the squad.
Nadi FC will kick off its Group A campaign against defending champions Extra Supermarket Labasa FC at 3.30pm on Tuesday, October 7.
They will then face Power Volt Suva FC at 2pm the following day, before concluding the group stage against 4R Electric Lautoka FC on Thursday at 6pm.
