Fiji may well be heading to their first-ever FIFA U-17 World Cup™ but they’re not about to depart from the up-tempo, attack-minded, brand of football that secured their historic qualification for Qatar 2025.
As head coach Sunil Kumar explains to FIFA, the Junior Bula Boys are Doha-bound packing belief, expectation and a desire to thrill on the global stage.
“We want to show the world the Fijian style of football,” Kumar stresses.
“Fiji is a nation of natural flair and if you look at a sport such as rugby we are famous for that style and we are bringing that same flair to football.
“During the process of creating our talent identification model we started to look back at our ancestors, the characteristics of our people and see what is inside us.
“They were farmers, fighters and warriors but above all they were fearless and that is what we want to translate onto the pitch.
“This our style, the Fijian style and we are going to give the boys the chance to express themselves, to be fearless and use our speed.”
That style was on full display as Fiji recovered from a heavy loss at the hands of New Zealand in the group stage of last year’s OFC U-16 Men’s Championship to secure a re-match with the Junior All Whites in the final.
At a tournament where they scored at least once in every match, Fiji eventually fell 3-1 in the decider but it was in the semis where a brace from electric forward Veleni Rasorewa against hosts Tahiti carved out the team’s place in history by securing U-17 World Cup qualification.
While the U-20 side has featured twice at the global finals, this is the first time for the younger age group to reach a World Cup and, as Kumar knows, it presents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players and his nation.
“Fiji is a rugby crazy nation and football is second to be honest, but we often work together and this World Cup is an opportunity to further grow football.
“It is also a chance for our players to be seen by talent scouts and perhaps get an opportunity to enter a professional environment.
“Of course we have [national captain] Roy Krishna who has enjoyed a long professional career but we are always asking ourselves who will be the next Roy Krishna and I think the answer could well be in this generation with so many talented players.”
Drawn in a group that contains two nations with enviable youth development records in Argentina and Belgium, as well as Tunisia, Fiji will have plenty of opportunities to showcase both their individual and collective qualities.
Rather than being daunted by the debut challenge, Kumar is approaching things through an optimistic lens.
“Before the draw there was a discussion around hoping we were not in a tough pool but after the draw I realised that they are all tough. Obviously Argentina, Belgium and Tunisia are three top teams, we are quite aware of that and we fully respect them.
“We are so humble and privileged that we get a chance to play these teams but what we have shared with the playing group is that we want to give an inspirational performance.
“Go out there, enjoy these moments and the experience, that’s our aim.
“If we can stay consistent then this generation could make a big impact going forward. In five to ten years’ time, I think this group can definitely help Fiji qualify for the senior World Cup.”
The Junior Bula Boys backed up last year’s qualifying heroics with another impressive effort at this year’s continental tournament, where they saw off Papua New Guinea 1-0 in the third-place play-off.
That has secured their ticket to next year’s World Cup, allowing Kumar the opportunity to continue to expose young Fijian talent to elite global competition, with the likes of the electric winger Ryan Achari and cerebral midfield schemer Maikah Dau in line to feature at both tournaments.
Heading to the current edition, the team has spent two weeks in Saudi Arabia fine-tuning their preparations under the guidance of 39-year-old Kumar, who is keen to stress that everything ties back to adhering to the squad’s core values.
“We have a slogan in the team called 4F. Those core elements are faith, fearlessness, family and Fiji.
“Personally I am the first local coach to lead Fiji to a World Cup and I’m so grateful for this opportunity and we want to show our qualities and our ideals at this level.
“We have this style within us and a responsibility to express the inner qualities of the players. To work hard, never lose hope, keep on fighting and to remember that we belong to our ancestors.”
Fiji plays Tunisia in their first match on November 4.
