The Paradise Seafood Lautoka Blues are determined to keep their title defence alive as they prepare to face Extra Supermarket Labasa in the first semi-final of the 2025 BiC Fiji FACT at the HFC Bank Stadium this Saturday.
After a rocky start in the Extra Premier League, the defending champions fought hard to qualify for the tournament and now aim for a rare three-peat, having lifted the title in 2023 and 2024.
Lautoka FC president Shalen Prasad says the team has regrouped and is focused on recovery and preparation ahead of the high-stakes clash.
“Our preparation started today, and we’re focusing more on the injured players. Some of our 22-member squad didn’t feature in the first round, so we’re hoping they recover quickly,” Prasad said.
“The second stage will be tough. All teams had a break and will come prepared. We’re hopeful our missing players will rejoin.”
Despite being the last team to qualify for the tournament, Lautoka’s strong belief in their championship pedigree has driven their progress.
“We told ourselves we’re the defending champions, and to defend our title, we had to first qualify. The coaching staff did a wonderful job preparing the team, and our game plan worked,” he added.
Looking ahead to the semi-final, Prasad acknowledged the strength of their northern rivals.
“Labasa is a champion side and EPL leaders. We don’t take them lightly they’ll give us a tough game. But we’ll be ready. We’re preparing well and hope to come out victorious.”
The Lautoka-Labasa match kicks off at 2pm while Suva takes on Rewa at 4.30pm. The final is scheduled for 3pm on Sunday.
