Gifted Nadi defender Inoke Nakacia Bativunilagi is set to make a career comeback at the age of 27 and has his sights set on a national team jumper.
Nakacia, a former Lautoka rep has been out of top level football for a while but has made an impressive return amongst the local competition.
Last month he featured strongly for Nadi in the IDC held in Suva where the Jetsetters lost to Ba in the final.
“As a player I want to continue improving my game. I think I achieved quite a lot last year by getting selected into the Nadi team,’’ he said.
“Anything is possible if we work hard and playing for the national team is the dream of every player.”
According to Nakacia, Nadi was unfortunate to lose the IDC final.
“Our aim was always to win the final. We had lost two games and then the team came back. Everybody had put us out but we regrouped and we could have won but Ba was
the better team on the day.’’
“When we were winning 1-0, I thought we could have won it but credit to the Ba team because they didn’t give up,” he said.
Nakacia believes the crucial freekick by Avineshwaran Swamy that leveled the game 1-1 would have troubled any goalkeeper.
“Avinesh Swamy is a free-kick expert. I don’t think any goalkeeper could have stopped that free-kick. It was very well aimed and also well taken.’’
“I saw Ben (Nadi goalkeeper) dive and his hands hitting the post,” he said.
In 1999 while in secondary school, Nakacia received a call to join the national team training camp however he opted to concentrate on rugby league.
“Rugby League was very lucrative. We played in the schools competition and we were getting paid to play,” he said.
At club level he played for Tavakubu Gandhi and then Press in the Lautoka Local League competition. He also played for Lautoka in the 2001 IDC which was won by
Rewa.
“We lost in the semifinal to Ba 5-0.”
In 2003 he joined top Nadi club Islands Electric sponsored Gandhi FC and played club level until Nadi coach Gurjeet Singh asked him to join his training squad for the
IDC after watching the high profile Gandhi FC versus Malolo encounter in the local league.
“Gandhi and Malolo are archrivals. They are two teams from the same area and they (Malolo) needed to win that game to stay in the running,” he said. “That game was
also my first as club captain.”
“We drew nil all and Gurjeet Singh, he was picking his squad for IDC. He (Gurjeet) came to me after the game and said to come for training from Monday.’’
For the second year in the running Nakacia’s Gandhi club has qualified for the Fiji FA National club championship playoffs and the utility defender believes the side
is on track to do better after losing to eventual winners General Machinery United of Lautoka in the semis last year in Suva.
“We are looking forward to the playoffs. Last year the playoffs was very tough but we are really preparing well.”
“All the boys are looking forward to it,” he said.
Nakacia who grew up in Topline, Lautoka said all district coaches need to make a point to be present at the grounds during club games.
“At club level, there are so many good players who don’t get selected. Nadi, Suva and Lautoka teams have more than 40 clubs and there are so many players.”
“The coaches should not always rely on top players. They should see club games and get more players into development or training squads,” he said.
Nakacia said his Gandhi club also has a development team that plays in the senior grade.
“Mostly secondary school boys play in that team and then they play for the main team.”
“Gandhi club – it’s a family club. The club members are good friends and share a special bond,” he said.
Nakacia’s parents are from Malolo Island. His dad late Ratu Iliesa Vata who passed away in 2005 was from Yaro and his mother Dudley Gibbs hails from Solevu.
He is the nephew of wing Sunia Banuve the first villager from Malolo Island to represent the national rugby team and also a cousin of the infamous Naevo brothers of
Nawaka village.
“Our mums are cousin sisters,” said Nakacia who works for Motibhai Group of Companies as maintenance officer.
Former Fiji Olympian and Lautoka striker Maika Waqa is his favourite local football player.
“He (Maika) was very skillful and talented. If he was still playing then I think he would have been among the best strikers.’’
Nakacia said star Nadi striker Netani Momoivalu plays like Waqa.
He believes Labasa wonder boy Roy Krishna will be the player to watch this season.
Being a defender himself Nakacia believes the only way to stop Roy from wreaking havoc is by keeping close to him.
“He is very fast and we can’t give him space. One defender should always be with him. It is tough to keep up with him.’’
“I first heard about him when he played for Fiji U20 team. Then in the super six we played and Labasa beat us 5-0 but in the IDC we were better prepared for him,’’
Nakacia said.