Peter Ravai: I would love to represent Fiji internationally

It is not unusual for football players to be born in one country but decide to play for another internationally. One of the most famous examples is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who was born in France but decided to play for Gabon National Team.

Many national football associations do an extensive search for foreign players who may be eligible to represent them internationally. This work is of great value to smaller nations, which can find talent abroad. In Oceania, however, this work is still done on a small scale.

One of the many players who could be eligible to represent a national team from Oceania is Peter Ravai, a 17-year-old midfielder born in Scotland whose parents are from Fiji: “I was born in Edinburgh but I moved to Germany at a very young age. I lived there for eight years before going back to England with my family as my father was in the British Army,” explained Ravai.

He started to play football at Sportverein Eintracht Bad Fallingbostel e.V. when he whas just seven years old. After one year, he joined the youth system of Hamburguer SV – one of the most traditional teams from Germany – before moving to England.

In England, Ravai played for Park Farm Rangers FC and Ashford United FC before joining Soccer Elite Football Academy in 2019. Ravai is currently part of the U-19 team of Maidstone United, a football club from the 6th tier of English football. Playing in Europe since childhood, the 17-year-old midfielder can be an excellent option to represent Fiji at youth level: “Fiji Football Association has never been in touch with me, but I would love to represent Fiji internationally,” he stated.