Oceania Football Center

The 2020 edition of Battle of Giants in Fiji approaches its decisive moments, the group stage had finished and the four teams qualified for the semi-finals are already known – and the title holders Labasa are not among them. Despite counting on important players such as Siotame Kubu and Akeimi Ralulu, the current title holders of the Battle of Giants will be unable to defend their glory as they were knocked-out of the tournament in the group stage: three games, three 1-1 draws and the bottom of the Group A of the competition.

The first match against Suva saw the Babasiga Lions trailling by a goal until the 86th minute of play, when experienced Taniela Waqa scored thorugh a powerful header to equalise and secure at least a point from the match to the team coached by Ronil Kumar. Against Ba, Labasa had Akeimi Ralulu sent off early in the match, but still managed to score first through Ilisoni Logaivau. Ba scored and put the things leveled minutes later of Logaivau’s strike, but the game also ended up in an 1-1 draw. Labasa just needed a win over Nasinu to proceed; they counted on the return of Antonio Tuivuna for the decisive clash – Ilisoni Lolaivalu scored in the first half, but the star goalkeeper Akuila Mateisuva commited a foul inside the box on Solomon Islands’ striker Marlon Nonone – penalty well taken by Jasnit Vikash to equalise the clash – once again, Labasa was not able to get a winner and they went out of the tournament with three points in the group. Ba and Suva were the 1st and 2nd placed sides of the group to qualify for semi-finals.

Labasa fans were very disapointed with their team performance in the Battle of Giants – they expected the team could contest again the for title as they did in 2019. A share of Labasa supporters elected Mateisuva was one of the responsibles for the elimination of the group stage – especially for this terrible foul in the box that resulted in a penalty for Nasinu and a penalty miss in the first half. But Mateisuva should not be blamed for Lions‘ faillure: in the penalty commited, Nasinu striker was left unmarked in an one-on-one situation and the goalkeeper tried to prevent his finish, but his shock with the opposition player was a clear foul – inside the box; a penalty. In the first half, Lions had the chance to double the score in a penalty kick – something unusual in football was seen when the goalkeeper Mateisuva stepped up to take the kick. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper could not put the ball in the nets. But the question is: why a goalkeeper to take a so important penalty, a player from a position that is not used to finish plays? Why not a player such as Siotame Kubu was chosen?

Labasa, after suffering the equaliser against Nasinu, was empty of ideas to find a winner: wrong choices made by Ronil Lal, wrong choices made by his player. Players such as Siotame Kubu and Antonio Tuivuna were outplayed – the team focused only on long balls, something easy for Nasinu’s defense to deal with.

Mateisuva might not had good performances as usual in 2020 Battle of Giants – but the entire Labasa squad did not display good football as well. A despair team with the ball, rushing forward without a game plan, just expecting a miracle to happen to keep them in the tournament. There is certainly much to be rethought, to be trained and improved for the Babasiga Lions if they want to return to the winning ways as in 2019.