THE Fiji Secondary Schools Football Championship remains wide open after an action-packed opening day in Labasa yesterday produced no clear favourite.
Fiji Secondary Schools Football Association president Aminesh Ram said several established teams boasting district representatives had struggled, while lesser-known players and schools had risen to the occasion.
“The competition has been quite tough,” Ram said. “The renowned teams with district representatives have failed to shine, while teams with relatively unknown players have stepped up and managed to beat some of the bigger schools and teams.”
In the under-19 grade, Labasa College opened its campaign with a 2-0 win over Tilak High School, while Labasa Muslim College edged Labasa Sangam College 2-1.
Vunimono High School and Gurunanak Khalsa College played to a scoreless draw, while Rishikul Sanatan College lost 1-0 to Labasa College. Labasa Sangam College defeated Nadroga Arya College 2-0.
At the Fiji Football Academy, Xavier College and Nadi Sangam College drew 0-0, while Suva Muslim College lost 1-0 to Ba Sangam College. All Saints Secondary School and Vunimono High School also played to a scoreless draw.
At the Labasa College ground, Tavua College defeated All Saints 1-0, while Central College edged Bucalevu 1-0.
Central College also recorded a 2-0 win over Tavua College in the under-15 grade, while DAV College lost 1-0 to Ba Sangam in the under-17 grade.
At the Labasa Sangam College venue, Vashist Muni College defeated Lautoka Muslim College 2-0, while Swami Vivekananda College went down 1-0 to Penang Sangam College.
Central College defeated Labasa Muslim College 1-0 in the under-17 grade.
With the final round of pool matches scheduled to be played across six venues in Labasa today, Ram said teams could not afford to relax.
“It will now come down to strategy. Everybody has played at least one game, and how they approach the final day will matter a lot,” he said.
Ram said the tournament had already produced a high standard of football, with several players attracting the selectors’ attention.
“The competition level has been very high, with a lot of talent on display. Tomorrow is another big day of football that we can expect from all the teams,” he said.
With quarter-final places at stake, Ram said no team could consider itself safe.
The championship has brought together 41 teams from Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
Ram said the performances of smaller schools had added another dimension to the competition and urged supporters to turn out in numbers for another exciting day of secondary schools football.
