THREE members of the Fiji women’s national football team recently departed the country to participate in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Player Placement Program in New Zealand.
Adi Lita Bakaniceva, Maria Veronica, and Caroline Qalivere are set to join Eastern Suburbs AFC in Auckland for a two-week high-performance attachment before reuniting with the national side in Papua New Guinea.
Accompanied by team manager Tulia Tuidama, the trio is poised to benefit greatly from this short-term placement, gaining exposure to professional football structures and increased match intensity.
Tuidama expressed her gratitude to OFC and Eastern Suburbs for facilitating this opportunity to enhance the players’ performance standards through practical experience abroad.
“This is an excellent opportunity for our players to experience a professional football environment and raise their performance standards,” she said.
“We’re grateful to OFC and Eastern Suburbs for supporting our development pathway and helping our players grow through practical experience abroad.”
The OFC Player Placement Program endeavors to provide promising Pacific players with the chance to train and compete within professional clubs across the region, helping to bridge the gap between local competition and the international game.
Fiji Football Association president Rajesh Patel commended the players for their dedication and emphasised the significance of such partnerships in elevating the standard of women’s football in Fiji.
