The Fijian champions line up for back-to-back semi-finals appearances in the competition for the first time in their history but their game with Amicale is far from straight forward according to team manager Arvind Singh.
“The game against Amicale will be a mammoth task for us. Amicale has a lot of overseas players unlike Ba which has all Fiji born players but I’m sure they are going out to make the country proud,” he says.
Ba’s players have been in camp for 52 days and a successful semi-final campaign would see that stretch to at least May 18.
But while Ba’s progress to the last four is commendable, the club does not need a painful reminder of its brush with immortality seven years ago when they faced Waitakere United in the final.
Ba won the first leg 2-1 in front of a sold-out Govind Park but a mistake by goalkeeper and skipper Laisenia Tuba in the second leg cost them the match and the tie on away goals.
The agonising 1-0 defeat was made worse with George Suri and Craig Wylie both sent off in the second match at Mount Smart Stadium.
A glut of missed chances in an explosive opening half hour salvo by the Fijians failed to produce a goal and the rest is history.
But history, this time, says Singh, favours Ba.
“We have played Amicale two times and we have won on both occasions. We have a game plan and I’m confident we will do the job.
“We overcame three good teams in Hekari United, AS Magenta and Tafea FC, all of whom had the services of top international players.
“But this is a different level of football and we humbly request local fans to turn out and support us when we face Amicale.
“Many fans here may not get the chance to see a player who has played for an English Premier League club but at least get a chance to see one on our own shores,” Singh says, referring to former Aston Villa midfielder Colin Marshall.
The match kicks off at 2pm at Govind Park on Sunday 27 April.

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