The Fiji Football Association has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the Fiji Kulas football team following disappointing results in the OFC Women’s Nations Cup and is re-evaluating the contract of the current coach, Angline Chua.
During the Fiji FA Council Meeting held at the Fiji FA Headquarters in Vatuwaqa, President Rajesh Patel says that despite significant investment in bringing in six overseas players at the request of the coach, only a few have had the opportunity to feature in the games, with Cema Nasau being one of the few to regularly make an impact.
He says the Fiji FA Board acknowledged the need for a major overhaul in the women's program, with concerns raised about the lack of structure and poor team performance.
Patel says with the Women's World Cup qualifiers set to begin in November 2025, the board has made the decision to re-evaluate the contract of the current coach, whose contract expires in February 2026.
He says this is a critical time for them as they prepare for the World Cup qualifiers, and they will be looking at how they can replace the women's coach before the qualifiers begin in November.
Meanwhile, the Fiji FA is also looking ahead to the future of local football and its competitions.
Patel says the board is considering major changes to the structure of its tournaments starting in 2026, with the introduction of the Pro League from January to May each year.
He says they need to seriously rethink how they structure the tournaments going forward, and this includes potentially rescheduling the Fiji Fact to a later date or moving it to June, with the Battle of the Giants to be held at the end of August and the IDC in October.
He says players will be contracted as professionals, which will necessitate a stand-down period of 30 days.
He adds that these changes will require careful thought, as they will not only affect competition scheduling but also the revenue generated from these tournaments, which is vital for teams and development programs across the country.
He says the Fiji FA is determined to make the necessary adjustments for the benefit of the sport’s long-term growth.
