Fiji FA suspends Delon Shankar and Melvin Mani indefinitely as camp breaches rule both players out of IDC

Fiji Football Association has taken major disciplinary action against two national-team players, suspending Rewa’s Delon Shankar and Labasa’s Melvin Mani from all football until further notice following separate breaches connected to Fiji’s national-team camp.

The decision immediately rules both players out of the upcoming FMF Inter-District Championship and creates an important setback for Rewa and Labasa only days before one of the biggest tournaments in the Fijian domestic calendar.

The two cases are different, but both concern players failing to meet obligations while involved with the national setup.Shankar had been part of Fiji’s preparations for the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup before being released from camp for rehabilitation. Fiji FA CEO Mohammed Yusuf said the young Rewa player subsequently travelled to New Zealand.

According to FBC Sports, Fiji FA and the national-team coaching staff later discovered that Shankar had played in the Sanatan IDC tournament in New Zealand without their knowledge.

The situation is particularly significant for Shankar because it interrupts the progress of one of Fiji’s promising young players. Still only 19, he has risen rapidly through Rewa’s youth structure into senior domestic and regional football and has increasingly entered the Fiji national-team picture.

Shankar made his OFC Champions League debut for Rewa as a 17-year-old in 2024 and later attracted overseas attention, including a trial with A-League side Sydney FC in 2025. He has since continued featuring for Rewa and Fiji, with the national association identifying him this year among the young players forming part of a new generation around the senior national team.

His suspension therefore comes at an important stage of his development rather than at the established end of an international career.

The circumstances surrounding Mani are different. The Labasa midfielder had also been selected for national-team duties but failed to return to camp following the Battle of the Giants and did not report as required.

Yusuf said Mani did not properly notify Fiji FA about his absence. There appears, however, to be additional context surrounding the communication failure, with Mani’s manager reportedly resigning and accepting responsibility for not properly informing the relevant authorities.

That has not prevented Fiji FA from imposing the suspension while the matter is considered. The severity of the current measures is important.

Shankar and Mani have not simply been removed from the Fiji national team or excluded from an individual competition. Their suspensions apply to football generally and remain in force until Fiji FA makes another decision. That means two important players will be unavailable to Rewa and Labasa at the IDC unless there is a change before the tournament.

For Rewa, Shankar’s absence removes one of the club’s emerging young players who has already accumulated senior experience domestically and in the OFC Champions League despite his age. His versatility has also allowed him to operate in several roles across defence and midfield during his progression through the club.

Labasa, meanwhile, will have to prepare without Mani as the Babasiga Lions enter a tournament in which squad depth becomes especially important because of the condensed schedule.

The episode also brings national-team discipline into focus. Fiji have recently been involved in the MSG Prime Minister’s Cup while domestic clubs simultaneously prepare for the IDC, creating a demanding period in which communication between players, clubs and the national setup becomes particularly important.

Fiji FA has not, however, presented the current suspensions as final punishments.

Yusuf said the Fiji FA Board of Control will ultimately consider the two cases and determine what happens next. Both players therefore remain suspended indefinitely while the disciplinary process continues.The eventual decisions will be important for Shankar and Mani individually, but also for Rewa and Labasa. For Shankar in particular, the case arrives during a formative period in a career that had been moving steadily upward through youth football, the OFC Champions League, overseas opportunities and the Fiji senior national-team environment.

For now, however, both players will miss the IDC unless Fiji FA changes their status before the tournament.