DAYALS Steels Ba FC technical and defensive coach Malakai Kainihewe has praised club president Praneel Dayal for putting the players at the centre of the Men in Black’s success this season.
Kainihewe made the comments after Ba defeated Stratum/PPCL Rewa 2-1 in the final of the 2026 Extra Battle of the Giants tournament at 4R Stadium at Govind Park in Ba on Sunday night.
The victory completed Ba’s Fiji FACT and Extra Premier League double before adding the BOG title to its trophy cabinet.
Kainihewe, who has played under four Ba presidents, said Dayal had played an important role in creating an environment where the players could perform.
“My first president was Vinod Patel, then second was Rajesh Patel, third was Rishi Kumar and my fourth president is Praneel Dayal.
“I want to thank Praneel Dayal for looking after the players. The main thing in any team is the players.
“Everything we have to do, we need to do it for the players, so I thank president Praneel Dayal and his company for what he’s doing to the team,” Kainihewe said.
Kainihewe said Ba entered tournaments with the expectation of winning, despite every team arriving with the aim of beating the Men in Black.
“All teams come to the tournament to beat Ba, but Ba enters the tournament to win tournaments,” he added.
The BOG triumph has also put Ba within reach of an achievement last accomplished by the club in 2006.
Ba completed a clean sweep of the major Fiji FA competitions that year and can repeat the feat in 2026 if it wins the Inter-District Championship next month.
For Kainihewe, the BOG victory was also a personal milestone after making the transition from player to the coaching staff.
“I’m lost for words but I’m proud of the boys. Being on the sideline and coaching, the feeling is different because all those times I have been playing.
“It’s a proud moment for me. This is for our Vakatalesau family.”
