LAUTOKA Football Association president Shalendra Prasad has challenged the Khelvin Realtors Lautoka FC players to deliver a stronger performance at next month’s FMF IDC following disappointing campaigns at the 2026 BIC Fiji FACT and Extra Battle of the Giants tournaments.
Speaking during the Lautoka Football Association’s fifth Council Meeting in Lautoka on Monday night, Prasad apologised to football supporters and assured them that the association would work harder to restore Lautoka’s pride.
“I do apologise to the Lautoka soccer fans, the genuine positive soccer fans, who are always giving us the positive comments, not the negative ones,” Prasad said.
“It was not a day for Lautoka football during the 2026 BIC Fiji FACT and 2026 Extra Battle of the Giants tournament, but we’ll definitely bounce back.”
Prasad said the association would return to the drawing board to identify the reasons behind the team’s struggles and address the areas that needed improvement.
“We’ll work harder, we’ll go to the drawing board, we’ll see what went wrong, where was it wrong,” he said.
The Lautoka FA president believes the same players who failed to deliver in the previous tournaments have an opportunity to redeem themselves at the FMF IDC.
He expects the players to step up and produce the performances required to meet the expectations of Lautoka supporters.
“I think the same players who did not deliver us, they should deliver this time during the 2026 FMF IDC next month,” Prasad said.
However, Prasad warned that players who fail to perform could face competition for their places, with the association prepared to create opportunities for emerging local talent.
“If they cannot perform, there’ll be more rooms and space created for other young people who are all from Lautoka, especially the secondary school students,” he said.
The message highlights Lautoka FA’s intention to combine improved performances with opportunities for young footballers as the district prepares for the 2026 FMF IDC.
The 2026 FMF Inter-District Championship (IDC) is scheduled to take place from October 6 to 11, 2026.
