FIJI senior women’s football team centre back Ema Mereia believes that if the team cannot match Papua New Guinea’s speed, they should focus on disrupting their rhythm to control the match.
The 19-year-old from Navesi in Cakaudrove is one of the youngest players named in the 22-member Fiji Kulas squad now in Port Moresby.
The national women’s football team plays two international friendlies against PNG, the first today and the second on Monday, June 2.
“Since PNG plays fast-paced football, and if we cannot meet that pace, why not disrupt their pace of the game so that we can control the game at our pace,” Mereia said.
She added that the team had been working on building up play from the back, improving communication and applying game strategies during training.
“The advice from coach has always been the same, work together. Better our communication because that will put our support in place,” she said.
Mereia is a student at Vunimoli Islamia College and only started her national football journey recently after being selected during an under-19 trial.
“I played for my school’s soccer team at Vunimoli Islamia College, and when there was an U19 trial, I was surprisingly picked. That’s when my journey with the national team began.”
She said preparation for the matches had gone well and the players are ready to apply what they’ve learned.
“Everyone knows what they need to do. The game plan is already laid out, now it’s just time to put everything into action,” she said.
These friendly matches are part of Fiji’s preparation for the OFC Women’s Nations Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifiers.
