After lots of complainings about Subrail Park’s pitch, the semifinals of 2020 Fiji FACT have been postponed. Now, the four remaining teams are getting ready for these clashes that are going to be contested this weekend.
It was confirmed by Fiji Football Association (FFA) that Subrail Park remains as the venue of the tournament, as this period of one week should be enough to improve the pitch conditions in the stadium. Also, FFA’s chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf revealed that the clash between Nadi and Rewa will not be restarted, so both teams will play only 45 minutes this weekend.
Nadi are the current Fiji FACT champions and the Green Machine takes an important advantage to the second half, as they were leading by 1-0 when the game was postponed. Despite being ahead by one goal, Nadi’s head coach Kamal Swamy keeps the focus on the rest of the match: “Our team is a young team with only three senior players, but we will do our best and we will try to win,” said Swamy to FBC Sports.
On the other hand, the decision taken by FFA disappointed Rewa’s board, as they were expecting to play 90 minutes this Saturday. Anyway, the Delta Tigers are good enough to bounce back and get a spot in the final: “Winning this Fiji FACT will be a boost for everyone. We’ll have something to take home at the end of the season,” stated Rewa’s player Tevita Waranaivalu.
The second semifinal will be contested between hosts Labasa and current Vodafone Premier League champions Suva. The postponement of the match was good for both teams: Labasa can count on Ashnil Raju, who is back in the squad after his wedding, while Suva will probably count on key players like Beniaminio Mateinaqara and Christopher Wasasala – two players who would not have played if the match had contested been last week. However, it was reported by Suva’s president Ritesh Pratap that Kelvin Naidu and Simione Nabenu are expected to lose this clash due to injury.
Current Inter-District Champions, Labasa can count on the crowd support against Suva. However, the Babasiga Lions know that it is an extra pressure on them: “There is additional pressure to play at home having the expectations of the fans but, we wil do well,” stated Labasa’s president Rayaz Khan.
The winner of each match will meet at Subrail Park on Sunday to decide which side will lift the Fiji FACT’s trophy this year. You can check more information about the tournament by clicking here.
Oceania Football Center 