Fijian soccer team in turmoil

Press, 2 May 1981, Page 64

Fijian soccer team in turmoil

NZPA correspondent Nandi, Fiji The New Zealand soccer team arrived in Nandi yes-, terday to find their Fijian opponents for tomorrow's World Cup qualifying game in a state of disarray. Five . members of the Fijian squad were suspended from the team’s training camp last Tuesday after they failed to attend ’ a practice session and were found drinking by the Fijian management. Yesterday the . five, who

include the team captain and key central defender, Jo Tubuna, offered to publicly apologise if they were allowed to re-enter the squad. A decision on whether they will be able to play against New Zealand has still to be made by the team's manager, Mr Chandar Dip Sharma. That decision could be influenced by the New Zealand team officials because two of Fiji’s replacement players, goalkeepers Damien Lum and Akuila Ravono, were not

registered by the Fiji Football Association for World Cup play. If New Zealand declines to grant either of the pair the right to play and the suspensions on the other five players are not lifted, Fiji will be without a recognised goalkeeper. The Fijian coach, Mr Sashi Singh, said last evening that he would prefer that the five outcasts were not returned to the squad but conceded that Fiji’s chances of beating New Zealand without their pres-

cnce were “very remote,” Mr Singh, who guided the Fijian team to its 4-0 win over New Zealand at the Oceania tournament last year and then resigned as coach, has been attracted back to prepare the Fijians for tomorrow’s match. However, he said the squad had only spent a week in training camp rather than the fortnight he would have liked to mould them into an effective unit. The confusion in the Fijian camp has delayed the nam-

ing of their team until today but Mr Singh said that with or without reinstatement, the core of the side would be the same as that which humbled New Zealand at the Oceania tournament. The commentary by the Auckland sports announcer, Alan Richards, will begin at 2.30 p.m., New Zealandtime, on 3YC. Television coverage of the match will be delayed until 11 p.m. on Tuesday evening.