TWENTY-SIX years is a long time to wait for a familiar feeling and on Saturday night, Fiji finally felt it again.
The Bula Boys football side edged defending champions Vanuatu 1-0 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva to lift the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup, with midfielder Thomas Dunn producing the moment that sent the home crowd into celebration.
Dunn was also named the Player of the Match and received the Golden Ball.
For captain Roy Krishna, it was a reward for the hard yards done by the team.
“Very happy, very happy,” Krishna said.
“Before coming to MSG, we worked really hard. So, this win is for you guys.”
Krishna said the players understood what winning at home meant.
“For all the boys, we knew how much we wanted to win at home especially,” he said.
“So, thank you to the fans and the Government for the support.”
The significance of the victory stretches back to Fiji’s dominance of the original Melanesia Cup, which the country won five times, including the last edition in 2000.
The competition later disappeared from the calendar before returning in 2022 as the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup.
Under coach Stephane Auvray, Fiji opened with a 1-0 win over Papua New Guinea before suffering a 1-0 loss to Vanuatu. The Bula Boys bounced back with a 2-1 victory over New Caledonia and a 3-3 draw against Solomon Islands to book the final.
That earned Fiji another shot at Vanuatu — this time with the trophy on the line.
Meanwhile in the Women’s MSG Prime Minister’s Cup grand finale, Vanuatu claimed the title after defeating Papua New Guinea 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out.
