AS controversial as the 1995 Fiji FACT final between Labasa and Suva was, where Suva won 1-0 accompanied by mounting speculation of how the final was theirs for the taking, the tournament that year was a highlight for its goalkeeper William Lasaqa.
Lasaqa recalled the auspicious occasion for him and his teammates, where they clinched the victory in front of an audience of 10,000 fans and supporters at Subrail Park in Labasa.
“My best memory of the tournament was back in 1995 when we won. In fact, the tournament itself had a trend that whoever loses in a final, wins the following year,” the former goalkeeper recalled.
While they lost the 1994 final to Tavua 1-0 and would have continued the trend into 1996, they ended up not doing so since Nadi beat Lautoka 4-0 to win the Fiji FACT that year.
In recounting the preparation for the 1995 meet, he attributed passion and heart for the game as the driving force behind their push for greatness.
“Basically, it’s more about passion; representing the district Suva is the one a player cherished back in the days,” he said.
“We trained pretty hard back then, struggle with the limited resources we have but we were able to make up a team and a good team though.”
As he continued his stellar trail of being his side’s last line of defence on the field, he reflected on how the sport had played an integral part in shaping his life as a whole.
“I believe football has built up my character to be the person I am today,” he highlighted.
“It has helped me personally in life, in my work.”
Years on since that resounding victory for the men in white in 1995, he now works at the Suva City Council as a City Ranger.
