BA Football’s trophy cabinet will add the crown jewel of Fiji football; the Inter-District Championship trophy back to its shelves after a dramatic 2-0 win over Navua in an epic finale yesterday.
Ba’s victory was a significant one; they have achieved a clean sweep of trophies from major tournaments in the 2026 Fiji football calendar; the 2026 BiC Fiji FACT, the Extra Battle of the Giants, the Extra Premier League and now, the IDC.
The 2026 FMF IDC’s Super Premier Division finale was a heated contest that came down to the wire as a barren first-half scoreboard was filled with a goal from David Supa in the 60th minute.
A second goal and the nail in the coffin for Navua came in the 87th minute when Etonia Dogolau converted a penalty to solidify the lead.
However, the dying minutes of the game were brought to life with a scuffle sparked between the two teams which resulted in members of the Fiji Police Force and private security service personnel storming onto the field as referee Torika Delai stood her ground and issued red cards to the players at the heart of the incident.
Ba fans did not back down from seeing their players and Navua get into it; they chose to start cheering “B-A, Ba, Ba” repeatedly as Ba FC president Praneel Dayal turned away from the field and lifted his hands in the air, urging them to cheer louder.
President Dayal was swarmed with scores of fans seeking photo opportunities and a group of tasha drummers played louder than the music blaring on the sound system at the HFC Bank Stadium.
Ba head coach Ravinesh Kumar was an elated man when he spoke to Times Sport, relaying how significant this win was not just for him, but for a football-crazy town whose love for the Men in Black was resurrected in last year’s IDC.
“It’s very easy to become the champion but it’s very hard to remain as a champion,” Kumar said last night.
“The pressure was there on the players, and they knew that they had to win this game and this tournament.
“So yes, the players managed themselves and I believe it’s the discipline part which has worked a lot in the team.”
Ba reunited with Navua in the final after a two-all scare in the pool stages last Wednesday.
They last won the IDC in 2023 at the same venue.
