Former American women’s football coach and player Lisa Cole has been appointed as Digicel Fiji Women’s football coach.
This was revealed by Fiji FA president Rajesh Patel during their 83rd Ordinary Congress in Lautoka.
Cole will take the coaching position left vacant by Marika Rodu.
Patel says the appointment was made this year and they are trying to get her across to Fiji.
“For the new women’s coach, we are waiting for the Immigration Department to give us a short-term visa. She’ll be here for eight months and if we qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup then we’ll extend her contract,” Patel said.
In 2016, Cole coached the Papua New Guinea under-20 women’s team for the world cup.
Cole has served in multiple international coaching roles.
In 2018, she assisted the US Soccer U17 women’s national team during their August trip to South Korea in preparation for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
From 2015 to 2017, Cole most notably served as the head coach of the Papua New Guinea U20 Women’s national team in their run-up to and during the 2016 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
Papua New Guinea did not have a national team program prior to her being hired for the position and the team drew Sweden, Brazil, and North Korea in World Cup Group A.
While finishing 0–3 in Group A, the team scored their only goal of the tournament against eventual champion North Korea.
In August 2019, she was hired as the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association’s director of women’s football and senior women’s national team head coach.
