Rewa fight back twice to end Nasinu’s BOG run and book final against Ba

Rewa are through to the final of the 2026 Battle of the Giants after surviving a major challenge from Nasinu to claim a 3-2 victory in an entertaining semifinal at 4R Stadium, Govind Park.

The Giant Killers led twice during the contest through Ranit Maharaj and Solomon Islands international Paul Francis, but Rewa responded on both occasions before Epeli Valevou emerged as the decisive figure with a brace.

Josaia Sela scored Rewa’s other goal as the Delta Tigers completed the comeback and ended one of the tournament’s most impressive underdog runs.Nasinu could hardly have asked for a better start. Maharaj opened the scoring after only five minutes, immediately putting Rewa under pressure and continuing the fearless approach that had carried the side into the knockout stage.

Rewa had entered the semifinal as the more experienced side and responded rather than allowing the early setback to dictate the match. Josaia Sela brought the Delta Tigers level, restoring parity and seemingly giving Rewa an opportunity to take control.

Nasinu, however, had already demonstrated throughout the BOG that they were capable of competing against the tournament’s stronger sides. Instead of retreating after conceding, the Giant Killers struck again — and once more a familiar Solomon Islands name was involved.

Paul Francis scored to put Nasinu back in front, continuing an excellent individual tournament for the Solomon Islands international. Francis had already played a decisive role in Nasinu’s qualification for the semifinals, scoring in the 2-1 group-stage victory over Suva alongside compatriot Billy Afi.

His latest goal meant Rewa had to come from behind for a second time.This time, Epeli Valevou took responsibility for the Delta Tigers. The Fiji international found the net twice as Rewa eventually overturned Nasinu’s advantage and moved ahead 3-2.

After twice finding themselves behind, the Delta Tigers finally had a lead to protect.Nasinu continued fighting for a way back into the contest, but there would be no third breakthrough. Rewa held their advantage until the final whistle to secure a place in the BOG decider.

The defeat brings an end to a memorable campaign for Nasinu.The Giant Killers had started the tournament with a 1-0 defeat against defending champions Labasa, leaving little margin for error in their remaining group matches. They responded by beating Navua 1-0 before producing their most important result of the group stage against Suva.

That 2-1 victory over the Capital City side, with Francis and Afi providing the goals, sent Nasinu into the semifinals against expectations. It was their first appearance at this stage of the Battle of the Giants since 2019 and another reminder of the progress made by a side competing against some of Fiji’s traditional football powers.

Their semifinal performance reinforced that impression. Nasinu did not simply attempt to contain Rewa: they scored twice, led twice and forced one of Fiji’s strongest teams to chase the match for significant periods before Valevou’s intervention eventually turned it around.

For Paul Francis, the tournament also provided another chapter in a strong period in Fiji football. The former Real Kakamora attacker has become an increasingly important figure for Nasinu, and scoring in consecutive crucial BOG matches further underlined his influence. His contribution also continued the considerable impact of Solomon Islands players during this year’s tournament.

Rewa, meanwhile, return to the BOG final after demonstrating another side of their credentials.The Delta Tigers had been impressive during the group stage, beginning with a 2-0 victory over Lautoka before producing one of the tournament’s standout results by beating Ba 3-0. Qualification was already secured before their final group match, when a rotated Rewa side lost 1-0 to Nadi.

Against Nasinu, the challenge was different. Rewa were required to respond to adversity rather than dictate the game from the beginning. Falling behind twice and still finding a route to victory provided a significant test ahead of the final.

It now sets up a particularly interesting rematch.Rewa will face Ba in the BOG final at Govind Park, only days after the Delta Tigers comprehensively defeated the Men in Black during the group stage. Ba reached the decider after beating Suva 2-1 with ten men in the first semifinal and remain in pursuit of another major trophy after already winning the league and Fiji FACT this season.

Rewa have already shown they can beat Ba. Doing it again, however, with the Battle of the Giants trophy at stake and the Men in Black playing on their home ground, will be an entirely different challenge.

For Nasinu, there will be no final, but their 2026 BOG campaign ends with considerably more than the semifinal defeat. From losing their opening match to defeating Navua and Suva and then twice taking the lead against Rewa, the Giant Killers made themselves one of the stories of the tournament.

For Rewa, one final obstacle remains — and it is a very familiar one.