After a 2–0 victory over Auckland U16 All Stars on Day Two, the Fiji FA U16 All Stars are set to kick off today’s action at 3pm against a Canada U16 All Stars side still searching for their first win at the Pacific Community Cup 2025 at Bill McKinlay Park, Auckland.
The win over Auckland provided Fiji with the perfect platform heading into today’s match. Settling quickly in their first outing, the young Fijians displayed controlled possession and composure, despite many adjusting to the artificial turf for the first time.
With several members of the recent Fiji U17 World Cup squad involved—including captain Maikah Dau, Salesi Vatanitawake, and Kanav Gounder—the side showed promise. The breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Rewa youngster Zafir Ali met a driven cross and swept home the opener. Fiji continued to rotate their squad after the interval, bringing on Ryan Archari and Koopah Singh, moves that added pace and creativity down the flanks. The substitutions paid dividends in the 55th minute: Archari delivered a pinpoint cross to the far post, where Ryan David finished confidently for a 2–0 lead, securing the victory.
Speaking after the match, Fiji U16 Coach Sunil Kumar praised the team’s performance while noting areas for improvement.
“I’m pretty satisfied with the way the team played. We managed to keep possession for most of the match and created a lot of goal-scoring chances. Moving forward, we need to convert those chances, as the competition will only get tougher,” he said.
The coach added that adapting to the environment—artificial turf, larger crowds, and tournament pressure—is crucial.
“It’s good to get exposed to this kind of environment, and it helps players to get better, improve themselves. At the end of the day, I think it’s a good competition, and it helps the players to develop and grow and get better.”
He also highlights the tournament’s key role in identifying overseas-based Fijian players for next year’s Fiji U17 squad.
“The main purpose of this tournament was to select the top talents. And the idea is for the players out of Fiji who are of Fijian heritage, those who qualify to represent Fiji. So that’s why there are teams here from Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and then we have a team from Fiji. I think the best way to select talent is through competition. So yes, we are also scouting talents who could represent Fiji in next year’s World Cup.”
Looking ahead to today’s clash, Canada enters the fixture seeking their first win, meaning Fiji will likely be under pressure to maintain possession and continue creating chances.
Full slate of Day Three fixtures – Friday, November 28
3pm Fiji FA U16 All Stars vs Canada U16 All Stars
4:15pm NZFFI U16 All Stars vs Auckland U16 All Stars
5:30pm NZFFI All Stars vs Northshore All Stars
6:45pm FJ Lautoka FC vs AUFFI Australia All Stars
8pm: FJ Labasa FC vs Auckland All Stars
9:15pm FJ Rewa FC vs FJ Ba FC
