Labasa’s star Akuila Mateisuva deserves a spot in Bula Boys

Labasa fans might be in heaven after their team performance in the 2019 season in Fiji – the Babasiga Lions won two major tournaments this year, Battle of Giants and the Inter-District Championship, and began 2020 with a convincing win over Ba in the Champion vs Champion series.

Players like Siotame Kubu, Atonio Tuivuna and Akuila Mateisuva were decisive for the good time of Labasa. Despite their good moment only Tuivuna already played for the national team of Fiji. Goalkeeper Mateisuva is an obioval requirement for the Bula Boys, as names like Beniamino Mateinaqara and Simione Tamanisau are getting older and older and their time with the national team could be in the final stages.

Mateisuva represented Fiji in 2019, but at the OFC Futsal Nations Cup where they failed to qualify for the FIFA Futsal World Cup finishing 5th in the tournament. The 28-year-old player is also capped by Fiji in the U20 and U23 youth national teams, but he is still to be properly recognised in the senior national team.

SEE ALSO
Siotame Kubu: tough moments boost our dedication to football;
Atonio Tuivuna deserves a spot in Fiji National Team.

The new head coach of the Bula Boys, Danish and former Papua New Guinea coach Flemming Serritslev, could bring changes to the team that will be battling for a place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Labasa’s good moment is usually enough to give a chance to some of their key players, notably Akuila Mateusiva. The giant goalkeeper was a rock in the 2019 season and is proving to be the most regular goalkeeper in the Vodafone Premier League.

Labasa fans and the majority of football fans in Fiji are demanding the presence of Mateisuva in the national team – and this is nothing new for the Fijians. The goalkeeper has been a good performer, at least for the past three seasons in Fiji, and he still to be receive a chance in the national team.

With the return of football competitions to Fiji next month after the compulsory break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mateisuva and his teammates from Labasa hope to recover from their defeats in the first matches of the 2020 edition of the national league. The goalkeeper will want to continue his good form and expect for the national team call- up that he is truly deserving.