Traditional powerhouse Ba showed why they are the true kings of Fiji football at the weekend when they retained the Inkk Battle of the Giants (BOG) tournament for the fourth year in a row.
In a thrilling final at Churchill Park on Sunday, the Men in Black defeated Lautoka 1-0 thanks to a strike from Osea Vakatalesau inside the first 10 minutes.
After nice combination play from Maciu Dunadamu, Ronald Laurence and Kiniviliame Naika, the 23-year-old Vakatalesau latched onto a Shalen Lal throw and finished in style with an angled shot over Australian-based goalkeeper Ali Cem Akbal.
The striker said a phone call from his parents inspired the performance.
“Both my father and mother called me up to give their blessings to me and the team before the final,” said Vakatalesau.
“The call inspired me to give my best shot as my parents told me that there was a lot of expectation from me and that I had to 
make my family and district proud. My mom actually got emotional and I also could not hold my emotions and told her that I will give my best for Ba.”
The win takes Ba to eight BOG titles in the last 10 years and 14 overall since the competition began in 1978. But unlike its dominant form in previous years, Ba has had an inconsistent season first losing its O-League berth then bowing out of the Fiji FACT in disappointing fashion. Yesterday’s win marks a turnaround in form and could be the start of a dominant run for Ba.
The 2009 BOG was as tight as ever with both semi-finals – Ba vs. Navua and Lautoka vs. Suva – ending in 1-0 score lines.
Story courtesy of fijilive.com
Photo: Courtesy of Fiji Sun
