A scene rarely seen in Fijian football unfolded at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday when 16-year-old Maikah Dau ran out for Extra Bula FC in the region’s first professional club competition, the OFC Pro League.
Dau, the youngest player in the team, was named in the starting line up, partnering the experienced 38-year-old captain Roy Krishna.
It is not often that a teenager is trusted with a starting role at the highest level of regional football, and Dau’s selection challenged the long-held, laid-back preference for fielding seasoned players while younger talent is left on the bench.
Bula FC interim CEO Anushil Kumar said starting Dau in Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Vanuatu United FC, sent a powerful statement of what the club stands for.
“At just 16-years-old, making a professional debut on this stage is a huge milestone, not just for him, but for Fijian football. To see him pairing our captain Roy Krishna shows the trust we have in our young talent and the belief that age should never limit opportunity. This is exactly what the professional pathway is about, inspiring the next generation and proving that with hard work and the right environment, dreams can become reality.”
Head coach Stephen Auvray said Dau was technically sound, understood things very quickly and had the ability to run for a long period of time which is major in professional football. These qualities warranted his selection into the starting 11.
“I looked at Maikah and asked him if he was afraid and he looked at me like I was crazy and said no. I knew he was ready to play this game and his only focus was to play the game and the outside environment had no effect on him.” Dau played more than 45 minutes of the game.
