Still great: Gagame Feni proves his goals have not gone anywhere at 34

There are players whose influence begins to fade quietly as a new generation takes centre stage. Gagame Feni continues to resist that process. At 34, the Solomon Islands international has once again placed himself among the main protagonists of a major tournament in Fiji, scoring four goals during the group stage of the 2026 Battle of the Giants and helping Suva secure a place in the semifinals.

Feni entered the BOG only a couple of weeks after celebrating his 34th birthday, but there was little indication of age slowing him down when Suva opened their campaign against Navua at Govind Park. With the Whites trailing 1-0 at half-time, the experienced attacker completely transformed the match after the break, scoring all three goals in a 3-1 comeback victory.

It was not simply a veteran adding another goal to an already long career. Feni produced the first hat-trick of the tournament and immediately became one of its central figures. Suva followed that result with an impressive 3-0 victory over defending champions Labasa, securing qualification before their final group match.

Even when Suva eventually suffered their first defeat, losing 2-1 to Nasinu on Sunday, Feni was there again. Paul Francis had put Nasinu ahead before Feni responded with an excellent equaliser, his fourth goal in only three BOG appearances. Billy Afi eventually scored the winner for Nasinu, but Suva still finished top of Group A on goal difference and advanced to the semifinals.

For followers of Solomon Islands football, there is something particularly familiar about seeing Feni among the goals. His career has now stretched across more than a decade and several countries, yet scoring has remained the constant.

Feni was already playing senior football in New Zealand with Canterbury United in 2010, later representing Waitakere United before establishing himself as one of the most recognisable attackers in Solomon Islands football. His career has subsequently taken him through clubs such as Solomon Warriors, Western United, Kossa, Hekari United, ABM Galaxy and Suva, giving him experience across New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji and his homeland.

Some of his most remarkable numbers came back in the Solomon Islands. Feni scored 26 league goals for Solomon Warriors during the 2020/21 campaign and later produced an extraordinary 34-goal season with Kossa in 2022/23. Those figures belong to an earlier stage of his career, but what has happened in Fiji demonstrates that the ability to decide matches has not disappeared.

His relationship with Suva has also become an important chapter of that journey. Feni had already represented the Capital City side in 2019 before returning years later. During the 2025 Fiji Premier League season, he scored eight goals in only 11 league appearances, finishing as Suva’s leading scorer despite playing considerably fewer matches than many of the competition’s other leading forwards.

That form earned another opportunity at professional level. At the beginning of 2026, Feni left Suva after signing with Solomon Kings for the inaugural OFC Professional League, appearing for the Solomon Islands representative side during their campaign. His stay away from Fiji, however, did not last long. Suva announced his return during the June transfer window, bringing an experienced and already proven attacking option back into their squad for the second half of the season.

Only a few months later, the decision is producing very visible results.

There is also a wider context to Feni’s latest performances. Solomon Islands football is currently watching another generation of attacking talent emerge, with players such as Raphael Lea’i and Paul Francis increasingly attracting attention at home and elsewhere in the Pacific. Feni belongs to the generation before them, but the BOG has provided another reminder that the country’s established stars have not simply stepped aside.

His longevity is perhaps what makes this tournament particularly notable. Feni has represented Solomon Islands at senior international level since 2012 and has experienced several different eras of the national team. More than 14 years after beginning his international journey, he remains capable of producing the kind of individual performance that can take over an important regional match.

The next opportunity comes with even greater stakes. Suva will face hosts Ba in the BOG semifinal on Saturday at Govind Park, with a place in Sunday’s final on the line. The Whites will meet a Ba side that recovered from a difficult group-stage defeat to qualify and will have home support behind them.

For Suva, however, the evidence from the opening weekend is clear. When a goal is required, one of the oldest attacking names in Solomon Islands football remains one of their most dangerous options.

Gagame Feni has been scoring around the Pacific for a long time. At 34, he is still doing it.