Published in The Fiji Times on Monday, May 7, 2007
Malakai Tiwa rifled a stunning strike to earn Ba a 1-0 win over Labasa in the final of the Fiji Bitter Fiji FACT at Govind Park yesterday.
Tiwa’s 13th minute goal was enough to earn the Men in Black the $11,000 prize purse and its fourth Fiji FACT title in a row.
The Ba striker scored from a well orchestrated move which started from the halfway mark.
Tiwa passed the ball to Josaia Bukalidi who split the Labasa defence before returning the ball to Tiwa on the outside.
Tiwa rifled in the right footer past a diving Labasa goalkeeper Shamal Kumar.
Ba coach Yogendra Datt said Tiwa failed to score on numerous occasions in the tournament but got one when it mattered most.
Datt praised the vision of Bukalidi and Tiwa as they combined perfectly to execute the decisive goal.
“Tiwa has been playing well,” Datt said. “In the final Tiwa was really composed in the final.”
Ba created yet another piece of history by winning the Fiji FACT title for the seventh time in 17 years.
The Men in Black went into the final as the favourites and didn’t disappoint its fans.
Labasa goalkeeper Kumar was under constant pressure as lanky Osea Vakatalesau and nippy Kiniviliame Naika made inroads through the defence.
Ba goalkeeper Laisenia Tuba was hardly tested in the first half with Labasa strikers Roy Krishna and Maciu Dunadamu failing to breach the defence.
The hosts held the upper hand in the second half. Ba thwarted at least three good goal scoring chances.
Bukalidi dribbled past three Labasa defenders but could not get his shot in as Apisolome Turuva cleared.
A defensive blunder rearly cost the northerners dearly. Sandeep Nair’s back pass rolled causally towards goalkeeper Kumar.
Vakatalesau sprinted straight at Kumar managing to get his foot to the ball. Fortunately for Kumar, the shot went wide.
Tuba was forced to make a one on one save when Krishna slipped through the Ba defence.
Vakatalesau at the other end drove a right footer across the face of the goalmouth with only Kumar at his mercy.
Ba captain Shalend Lal said the team was confident of winning the trophy from day one.
He said the boys deserved the win after sacrificing a lot in the last two months.
Ba coach Datt said the aim is to defend all the titles that they won last year.
He said with Champion of Champion and Fiji FACT title already in the bag, the platform has been laid for another clean sweep.
Labasa coach Taniela Tuilevuka said the northerners put up a good fight against the champions.
The former national rep said reaching the final was a great accomplishment.
