SUVA – Fiji Women’s football representatives Asena Ratu and Adiela Kurikaba have been nominated for the first ever Oceania Women Footballer of the Year award which will be given by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) in April.

The duo who were key players of the Fiji Women’s side that won bronze at the Pacific Games in Samoa last year are among the 15 ladies from the Oceania region that have been short listed for the inaugural award.

Ratu, 28 is an inspirational leader and midfielder who represents Tavua on the domestic scene has been a regular in the national colors since 2002 while Kurikaba who hails from champion soccer district Ba and is 22 years old first entered the sport of football as a 15 year old and has since been one of the top strikers in the country.

Fiji Women’s Football director Susan Wise was elated with the news of the nomination of the two players and said this sort of openings encouraged and raised more awareness of the sport in the country.

“This indeed is great news to women’s football in Fiji as the nomination of the two girls has reflected our commitment and urge of developing the sport here, she said.

“It’s a great achievement for us which shows we are moving in the right direction and in years to come, we can excel even further up the ladder.

“Both the girls deserve to be nominated as they have proven their worth on both the domestic and the international scene and can be matched against the world’s best.

“Asena has been around since early 2000s and one of the senior members of our national team and is a fantastic leader while Adiela has huge potential and is unarguably one of the best strikers not only in the country but also in the region.

“Competition will be tough for the award as the other nominees also are very good and carry lots of experience but we are confident of our chances and keep our fingers crossed” added Wise.

Apart from the two, Fiji football sensation Roy Krishna has also been nominated for the top honors in the Men’s category.

The 21 year old Siberia lad is one of Fiji’s finest and most marketable talent having already featured at the Club World Cup in Japan with New Zealand football champs Waitakere United last month.

The nominees in the Women’s category are as follows:

Filiga Kerisiano (American Samoa), Adiela Kurikaba (Fiji), Asena Reba Ratu (Fiji), Daisy Winas (PNG), Lydia Banabas (PNG), Majorie Pouye (New Caledonia), Haley Moorwood (New Zealand), Elodie Tein Poawi (New Caledonia), Rosie White (New Zealand), Ali Riley (New Zealand), Annalie Longo (New Zealand), Kirsty Yallop (New Zealand), Laydah Samani (Solomon Islands), Mele Likiliki (Tonga) and Mimosa Marmouyet (Tahiti).

Story courtesy www.fijilive.com

Images OFC Media and Communication

Asena Reba Ratu in action for Fiji at the XIII South Pacific Games in Samoa

Adiela Kurikaba sheilds the ball from an opponent as Fiji defeat Solomon Islands 3-0