NOUMEA – Juan Carlos Buzzetti has named a youthful squad ahead of Fiji’s do-or-die clash with New Caledonia in Noumea today with eleven of his 18-man squad eligible for next March’s
Olympic Games Men’s Football Qualifying tournament hosted in Ba and Lautoka.
Esava Naqeleca, Apisalome Tuvura, Jone Vesikula, Johnny Rao, Pita Senibiaukula, Valerio Nawatu, Osea Vakatalesau, Maciu Dunadamu, Roy Krishna, Tuimasi Manuca, Samuela Kautoga and
goalkeeper Benaminio Mateinaqara will all be eligible for the tournament with a significant number of those players likely to be involved today.
Fiji arrive in New Caledonia with its OFC Nations Cup/2010 FIFA World Cup hopes hanging by a thread after dropping two vital home points in its thrilling 3-3 draw at Govind Park, Ba
and Buzzetti says if Fiji don’t claim maximum points then it can kiss World Cup qualification goodbye.
“We missed too many chances against New Caledonia on Saturday when we were 2-0 up. If we had converted some easy chances to make it 3-0, 4-0, then the game was over. New Caledonia
will be a much tougher prospect today if Pierre Wajoka is selected. Wajoka is a very good player and very professional but we will see what happens,” Buzzetti said.
Fiji opened the New Caledonia match with a hiss and a roar racing into a 2-0 lead through goals from Nawatu and Vakatalesau that saw the home side cruising. But Fiji bottled that
advantage by conceding two goals.
Vakatalesau looked to have sealed a late win for Fiji when he scrambled home his team’s third goal on 86 minutes only for Michel Hmae to equalise on 87 minutes.
Fiji’s youthful squad suggests Buzzetti is eyeing the Olympic Qualifiers in March next year but the veteran coach says injury rather than tactical design has forced a change.
“I have a lot of injury problems and we have struggled to get our best team together for these two matches. I have ten or eleven players that will play in March but this is not to
say we have given up on qualifying for the FIFA World Cup – that all depends on what happens here in New Caledonia today,” Buzzetti said.
Pita Rabo will captain the side with Peni Finau suspended after receiving a yellow card in the last match.
New Caledonia coach Didier Chambaron welcomes back Pierre Wajoka to the ranks after a one match suspension but is uncertain whether the AS Magenta midfielder will recapture a
starting berth.
“The first match with Fiji was very difficult. We have a healthy respect for Fiji and we must remain humble. The challenge is to get morale and motivation in our camp high again. We
will have to use our speed and pace out wide to greater effect than we did in Fiji,” Chambaron said.
FIJI: 1. Shamal KUMAR; 2. Samuela VULA; 3. Esava NAQALECA (Suva); 4. Apisalome TUVURA (Labasa); 5. Ronil KUMAR (Waitakere United); 6. Jone VESIKULA (Ba); 7. Johnny RAO (NZ-based); 8.
Pita SENIBIAUKULA (Labasa); 9. Valerio NAWATU (Navua); 10. Osea VAKATALESAU (Youngheart Manawatu); 11. Pita RABO (Wairarapa United); 12. Nayzal ALI (Navua); 13. Maciu DUNADAMU (Labasa); 14. Roy
KRISHNA (Labasa); 15. Tuimasi MANUCA (Ba); 16. Samuela KAUTOGA (Lautoka); 17. Malakai KAINIHEWE (Ba); 20. Benaminio MATEINAQARA (Nadi). Coach: Juan Carlos BUZZETTI (AUS) Official: Saiyad ALI (FIJ)
Physio: Rinesh LAL (FIJ)