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Fiji national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Fiji women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Fiji
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Bula Boys
Association Fiji Football Association
Confederation OFC (Oceania)
Head coach Rob Sherman
Captain Roy Krishna
Most caps Roy Krishna (61)
Top scorer Roy Krishna (44)
Home stadium HFC Bank Stadium
FIFA code FIJ
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 169 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 94 (July 1994)
Lowest 199 (July 2015)
Elo ranking
Current 157 Decrease 12 (3 March 2019)
Highest 77 (14 September 1991)
Lowest 162 (11 June 2017)
First international
 Fiji 4–6 New Zealand 
(Suva, Fiji; 7 October 1951)
Biggest win
 Fiji 24–0 Kiribati 
(Nausori, Fiji; 30 August 1979)
Biggest defeat
 New Zealand 13–0 Fiji 
(Auckland, New Zealand; 16 August 1981)
OFC Nations Cup
Appearances 9 (first in 1973)
Best result Third place (1998 and 2008)
Pacific Games
Appearances 14 (first in 1963)
Best result Champions (1991, 2003)
Melanesia Cup/MSG Prime Minister's Cup
Appearances 8 (first in 1988)
Best result Melanesia Cup: Champions
(1988, 1989, 1992, 1998, 2000)
MSG Prime Minister's Cup: Third place
(2022)
Fiji national football team
Medal record
Pacific Games
Gold 1991 Port Moresby Team
Gold 2003 Suva Team
Silver 1963 Suva Team
Silver 1979 Suva Team
Silver 1983 Apia Team
Silver 2007 Apia Team
Bronze 1995 Papeete Team

The Fiji men's national football team, also known as the "Bula Boys," represents Fiji in international football. This team is managed by the Fiji Football Association. They play most of their home games at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

Fiji first joined the FIFA World Cup qualification in 1982. Since 1990, they have tried to qualify for every World Cup but haven't made it to the main tournament yet. Their best effort was reaching the final round in the 2010 qualifiers.

The team also competes in the OFC Nations Cup, which is a big tournament for teams in Oceania. Fiji has played in nine of these tournaments. Their best finishes were third place in 1998 and 2008. They have won the Melanesia Cup five times. They also played in the Pacific Games until 2015, when it became a tournament for players under 23 years old.

In Fiji, like many other countries in Oceania, rugby union is more popular than football (soccer). Even though the senior team hasn't qualified for the FIFA World Cup, Fiji's youth teams have done well. They qualified for the 2015 and 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cups, and the 2016 Olympic football tournaments.

History of Fiji Football

Early Days (1951–1973)

Fiji's first international football match was against New Zealand on October 7, 1951. New Zealand won the game 6-4. The next year, New Zealand visited again, and Fiji lost all three matches, including a big 9-0 defeat.

After a break, the Fiji Football Association joined FIFA in 1963. That same year, the national team played in the first South Pacific Games, which was held in Fiji. They reached the gold medal match after beating Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. However, they lost to New Caledonia 8-2 and won the silver medal.

Fiji missed the 1966 Games. Their next tournament was the 1969 Games in Papua New Guinea. They finished fourth after losing to Papua New Guinea in the bronze medal game. Two years later, in 1971, Fiji finished last in their group. But they did beat the Cook Islands to finish fifth overall.

World Cup Dreams and Big Wins (1973–1991)

Fiji played in the first OFC Nations Cup in New Zealand in 1973. They didn't win any of their four games. At the 1975 South Pacific Games, they reached the semi-finals but lost to Tahiti. They then lost the third-place playoff to the Solomon Islands.

In 1977, Fiji played an unofficial game against Taiwan, which ended in a 2-2 draw. They then faced Australia and surprisingly won 1-0. This was a big shock because Fiji had struggled against Australian teams before.

At the 1979 South Pacific Games in Suva, Fiji had their biggest win ever, beating Kiribati 24-0! They reached their second Pacific Games final but lost to Tahiti.

In the 1980 OFC Nations Cup, Fiji beat the Solomon Islands. They then surprised everyone by beating New Zealand 4-0, becoming the first Fijian team to defeat New Zealand. However, they didn't reach the final.

Fiji entered their first World Cup qualifiers in 1981. They drew with Indonesia and beat Chinese Taipei 2-1. But they finished last in their group after big losses to Australia and New Zealand.

In 1983, Fiji played in the South Pacific Games in Samoa. They reached the final but lost to Tahiti. A similar incident in a friendly game led to a one-year ban on international matches in Fiji.

Fiji won their first title at the 1988 Melanesia Cup, beating the Solomon Islands 3-1 in the final. Later that year, they played in the 1990 World Cup qualifiers against Australia. They won the first game 1-0, which was a huge upset! But Australia won the second game 5-1.

Fiji won the 1989 Melanesia Cup at home. In 1991, they won their first Pacific Games gold medal by beating the Solomon Islands in a penalty shootout.

Melanesia Powerhouse (1991–2003)

Fiji won the 1992 Melanesia Cup for the third time. They played in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers but were eliminated after finishing behind New Zealand.

At the 1995 South Pacific Games, Fiji won the bronze medal.

For the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Fiji finished second in their group, missing out on the next round. They then won the 1998 Melanesia Cup, which helped them qualify for the 1998 OFC Nations Cup. They finished third in the Nations Cup, which was their best result at the time. Esala Masi was their top scorer with three goals.

Fiji won the 2000 Melanesia Cup and qualified for the 2000 OFC Nations Cup. However, they had to withdraw due to political problems in their country.

In the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Fiji had their biggest win in a FIFA match, beating American Samoa 13-0! They finished second in their group but didn't qualify. At the 2002 OFC Nations Cup, they finished third in their group and didn't reach the semi-finals.

Fiji won the gold medal at the 2003 South Pacific Games at home. The team, mostly made of young players, went unbeaten and defeated New Caledonia in the final. Esala Masi scored 12 goals in the tournament, including seven in a 12-0 win over Kiribati.

Recent Times (2004–Present)

Fiji qualified for the 2004 OFC Nations Cup during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They drew with Tahiti and beat Vanuatu, but then lost three matches and were eliminated.

The 2007 South Pacific Games was also the first round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Fiji reached the gold medal match but lost to New Caledonia, finishing as runners-up.

In the second round of World Cup qualifiers, Fiji faced some challenges. They finished third in their group and did not qualify for the next stage.

At the 2011 Pacific Games, Fiji won all their group games. In the semi-finals, they lost to the Solomon Islands. They finished fourth after losing to Tahiti in the bronze medal match.

Juan Carlos Buzzetti returned as coach for the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, which was also part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Fiji lost their opening game to New Zealand and drew with the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, which meant they were knocked out in the group stage.

After a break from senior international games, Fiji played some friendly matches. They then competed in the 2016 OFC Nations Cup, which was also part of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Fiji lost to New Zealand but beat the Solomon Islands. They needed a draw against Vanuatu to reach the semi-finals, but lost 3-2 in a close game.

Even though they finished third in their group, Fiji qualified for the third round of qualifiers. They only managed one draw in their four games, which was a 2-2 draw against New Caledonia.

Team Look

Kit Sponsors

Here's a list of companies that have sponsored Fiji's football kits over the years:

Kit lier Period
England Umbro 1981–????
N/A White 2001–2005
Germany Puma 2005–2007
Italy Lotto 2008–2011
Italy Kappa 2012–

Home Stadium

ANZ Stadium Fiji
HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, Fiji, hosts many of Fiji's national matches.

The first international soccer game in Fiji was held at Albert Park in 1951. This park was a main sports center in Fiji back then.

Today, most of Fiji's home games are played at the HFC Bank Stadium. It was built in 1951 and has been updated twice. It can hold 15,000 people. The stadium was renovated in 1978 for the 1979 South Pacific Games. Another big renovation happened in 2012, sponsored by ANZ Fiji. The team has also played games in other towns like Lautoka, Ba, Nausori, and Labasa.

Recent Games

Here are the results of Fiji's matches in 2023 and 2024, along with any planned future games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023 Matches

2024 Matches

Upcoming Matches (2025)

Team Staff

Current Coaches and Staff

Here are the people who help coach and manage the Fiji national football team:

Position
Head coach Wales Robert Sherman
Technical Director Germany Timo Jankowski
Manager Fiji Anushil Kumar
Assistant coach Fiji Sunil Kumar
Assistant coach Fiji Marika Rodu
Goalkeeping Coach England Bobby Mimms
Team Director Fiji Tarunesh Reddy
Physiotherapist Fiji Nishant Kumar
Physiotherapist Fiji Varoon Karan
Doctor Fiji Kapil Krishnam Swamy
Overseas Talent Scout New Zealand Alastair McLae
Overseas Talent Scout England Russ Gurr

Past Coaches

Many coaches have led the Fiji national team over the years:

  • Fiji Sashi Mahendra Singh (1960–1972)
  • Fiji Mohammed Ali Sahu Khan (1972–1974)
  • Fiji Sashi Mahendra Singh (1974–1976)
  • Fiji John Lal (1977–1978)
  • Fiji Moti Musadilal (1979)
  • Fiji Sashi Mahendra Singh (1980)
  • New Zealand Wally Hughes (1981–1982)
  • West Germany Rudi Gutendorf (1983)
  • Fiji Michael Thoman (1983–1984)
  • Fiji Billy Singh (1985–1986)
  • West Germany Rudi Gutendorf (1987)
  • Fiji Billy Singh (1987–1992)
  • Scotland Danny McLennan (1993–1995)
  • Fiji Billy Singh (1995–2002)
  • Australia Les Scheinflug (2002)
  • Australia Tony Buesnel (2003–2004)
  • Australia Lee Sterrey (2005–2006)
  • Uruguay Juan Carlos Buzzetti (2006–2009)
  • Fiji Yogendra Dutt (2009–2010)
  • Fiji Gurjit Singh (2011)
  • Uruguay Juan Carlos Buzzetti (2011–2015)
  • Australia Frank Farina (2015–2016)
  • France Christophe Gamel (2016–2019)
  • Denmark Flemming Serritslev (2020–2022)
  • Fiji Marika Rodu (2023)
  • Wales Robert Sherman (2023–present)

Players

Current Squad

These 23 players were chosen for the 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup. Numbers for games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of June 22, 2024, after the game against Tahiti.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Aydin Mustahib (2004-05-28) 28 May 2004 (age 21) 1 0 New Zealand Manurewa
20 1GK Joji Vuakaca (2003-03-24) 24 March 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Fiji Labasa
22 1GK Isikeli Sevanaia (2003-01-11) 11 January 2003 (age 22) 5 0 Fiji Rewa
2 2DF Scott Wara (1999-09-22) 22 September 1999 (age 25) 5 0 England Prescot Cables
3 2DF Gabriele Matanisiga (1995-06-14) 14 June 1995 (age 30) 13 2 New Zealand Wellington Olympic
4 2DF Ivan Kumar (1997-06-17) 17 June 1997 (age 28) 5 0 Fiji Rewa
16 2DF Atonio Tuivuna (1995-03-20) 20 March 1995 (age 30) 10 1 Fiji Lautoka
17 2DF Filipe Baravilala (1994-11-25) 25 November 1994 (age 30) 12 1 Fiji Navua
18 2DF Lekima Gonerau (1989-12-08) 8 December 1989 (age 35) 7 0 Fiji Labasa
21 2DF Sterling Vasconcellos (2005-04-19) 19 April 2005 (age 20) 9 0 Fiji Lautoka
5 3MF Sitiveni Cavuilagi (1994-07-26) 26 July 1994 (age 30) 15 0 Fiji Lautoka
6 3MF Thomas Dunn (2003-01-19) 19 January 2003 (age 22) 9 6 Fiji Navua
7 3MF Mohammed Raheem (2003-08-10) 10 August 2003 (age 21) 4 2 Fiji Ba
8 3MF Setareki Hughes (1995-06-08) 8 June 1995 (age 30) 41 3 Fiji Rewa
10 3MF Nabil Begg (2004-03-17) 17 March 2004 (age 21) 12 4 New Zealand Auckland City
11 3MF Brendan McMullen (2002-06-30) 30 June 2002 (age 22) 5 0 New Zealand Stop Out
12 3MF Tevita Waranaivalu (1995-09-16) 16 September 1995 (age 29) 24 2 Fiji Rewa
13 3MF Mosese Nabose (1998-07-01) 1 July 1998 (age 26) 2 0 Fiji Tailevu Naitasiri
19 3MF Merrill Nand (2000-09-22) 22 September 2000 (age 24) 6 1 Fiji Suva
9 4FW Roy Krishna (1987-08-30) 30 August 1987 (age 37) 55 40 India Odisha
14 4FW Sairusi Nalaubu (1996-12-14) 14 December 1996 (age 28) 16 7 Fiji Lautoka
15 4FW Etonia Dogalau (2001-02-24) 24 February 2001 (age 24) 5 3 Fiji Ba
23 4FW Rusiate Matarerega (1993-01-17) 17 January 1993 (age 32) 18 4 Fiji Nadi

Player Records

These tables show which players have played the most games and scored the most goals for Fiji. Players in bold are still playing for Fiji.

Most Games Played

Roy Krishna 2016
Roy Krishna has played the most games and scored the most goals for Fiji.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Roy Krishna 61 44 2007–present
2 Setareki Hughes 48 3 2016–present
3 Simione Tamanisau 39 0 2003–2019
4 Taniela Waqa 37 4 2003–2017
Remueru Tekiate 37 2 2012–present
5 Malakai Kainihewe 36 5 2001–2011
7 Esala Masi 34 31 1997–2005
8 Dave Radrigai 33 3 2015–present
9 Tevita Waranaivalu 31 3 2015–present
10 Lorima Dau 27 1 2002–2011

Top Goal Scorers

Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Roy Krishna (list) 44 61 0.72 2007–present
2 Esala Masi 31 34 0.91 1997–2005
3 Osea Vakatalesau 14 19 0.74 2005–2017
4 Veresa Toma 10 15 0.67 2002–2011
Christopher Wasasala 10 24 0.42 2017–present
6 Saula Waqa 8 13 0.62 2017–2022
7 Shailemdra Lal 7 8 0.88 1998–2001
Thomas Dunn 7 14 0.5 2023–present
Maciu Dunadamu 7 15 0.47 2007–2015
Malakai Tiwa 7 19 0.37 2007–2016
Sairusi Nalaubu 7 20 0.35 2022–present

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup Appearances

Fiji has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times. Here's how they've done:

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pos Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to Chile 1962 Not member of FIFA Not member of FIFA
England 1966 Did not enter Declined participation
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974
Argentina 1978
Spain 1982 Did not qualify 5th 8 1 3 4 6 35
Mexico 1986 Did not enter Did not enter
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 3rd 2 1 0 1 2 5
United States 1994 2nd 4 2 1 1 6 3
France 1998 2nd 4 2 0 2 4 7
South Korea Japan 2002 2nd 4 3 0 1 27 4
Germany 2006 4th 9 4 1 4 22 15
South Africa 2010 3rd 12 6 2 4 36 13
Brazil 2014 3rd 3 0 2 1 1 2
Russia 2018 3rd 7 1 1 5 7 14
Qatar 2022 3rd 3 1 0 2 3 7
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined TBD 3 1 2 0 5 4
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/15 59 22 12 25 119 109

OFC Nations Cup Appearances

This table shows Fiji's results in the Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup:

Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
New Zealand 1973 Group stage 5th 4 0 0 4 2 13 No qualification
New Caledonia 1980 Fourth place 4th 4 2 0 2 11 9
Pacific Community 1996 Did not qualify 4 3 0 1 8 4
Australia 1998 Third place 3rd 4 2 0 2 8 6 4 3 1 0 8 2
French Polynesia 2000 Qualified but withdrew 4 3 1 0 13 4
New Zealand 2002 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 2 10 Qualified automatically
Australia 2004 Fourth place 4th 5 1 1 3 3 10 4 3 0 1 19 5
Pacific Community 2008 Third place 3rd 6 2 1 3 8 11 6 4 1 1 28 2
Solomon Islands 2012 Group stage 6th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Qualified automatically
Papua New Guinea 2016 6th 3 1 0 2 4 6
Fiji Vanuatu 2024 Fourth place 4th 5 3 0 2 17 6
Total Third place 9/11 37 12 4 21 56 73 22 16 3 3 76 17

Pacific Games Appearances

Fiji has a strong history in the Pacific Games:

South Pacific Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Fiji 1963 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 10 9
New Caledonia 1966 Did not enter
Papua New Guinea 1969 Fourth place 4th 6 2 1 3 12 19
French Polynesia 1971 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 16 12
Guam 1975 Fourth place 4th 4 1 1 2 14 7
Fiji 1979 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 31 3
Samoa 1983 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 26 4
New Caledonia 1987 Did not enter
Papua New Guinea 1991 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 24 3
French Polynesia 1995 Third place 3rd 5 3 2 0 19 6
Fiji 2003 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 22 3
Samoa 2007 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 28 2
New Caledonia 2011 Fourth place 4th 6 4 0 2 20 5
Papua New Guinea 2015 See Fiji national under-23 football team
Samoa 2019 Third place 3rd 6 3 2 1 26 8
Solomon Islands 2023 Third place 3rd 4 2 1 1 14 4
Total 2 titles 12/15 60 37 10 13 228 80

MSG Prime Minister's Cup Appearances

Fiji has also competed in the MSG Prime Minister's Cup (formerly Melanesia Cup):

MSG Prime Minister's Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Solomon Islands 1988 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 14 2
Fiji 1989 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 7 2
New Caledonia 1990 Third place 3rd 4 1 3 0 2 1
Vanuatu 1992 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 6 3
Solomon Islands 1994 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 8 4
Vanuatu 1998 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 8 2
Fiji 2000 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 13 4
Vanuatu 2022 3rd place 3rd 4 2 1 1 4 3
New Caledonia 2023 Did not enter
Total 8/9 5 Titles 31 20 9 2 62 21

Head-to-Head Records

This table shows how Fiji has performed against other national teams. Results are up to matches played on November 17, 2024.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  American Samoa 4 4 0 0 39 0 +39 12
2  Australia 9 2 0 7 6 38 −32 6
3  China 1 0 0 1 1 4 −3 0
4  Chinese Taipei 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 4
5  Cook Islands 4 4 0 0 26 2 +24 12
6  Estonia 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0
7  Guam 4 4 0 0 45 1 +44 12
8  Hong Kong 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
9  India 2 2 0 0 3 1 +2 6
10  Indonesia 3 0 3 0 3 3 0 3
11  Kiribati 3 3 0 0 45 0 +45 9
12  Malaysia 5 2 1 2 8 5 +3 7
13  Mauritius 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 3
14  Mexico 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0
15  New Caledonia 39 21 6 12 76 69 +7 69
16  New Zealand 40 5 4 31 26 115 −89 19
17  Northern Mariana Islands 1 1 0 0 10 0 +10 3
18  Papua New Guinea 22 12 6 4 43 22 +21 42
19  Philippines 1 0 0 1 2 3 −1 0
20  Samoa 6 6 0 0 31 3 +28 18
21  Singapore 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0
22  Solomon Islands 43 19 15 9 76 46 +30 72
23  Tahiti 36 8 9 19 40 65 −25 33
24  Tonga 3 3 0 0 17 1 +16 9
25  Tuvalu 5 5 0 0 47 1 +46 15
26  Vanuatu 37 21 6 10 83 41 +42 69
27  Wallis and Futuna 1 1 0 0 5 0 +5 3
Source: 1951–99 results and 2000–present results.
Notes:

Best and Worst Game Results

Here are some of Fiji's most memorable game results, both good and bad!

Best Wins

  1. 24-0 against Kiribati in 1979
  2. 16-0 against Tuvalu in 2007
  3. 15-1 against Cook Islands in 1971
  4. 14-1 against Guam in 1991
  5. 13-0 against American Samoa in 2001
  6. 12-0 against Guam in 1993
  7. 12-0 against Kiribati in 2003
  8. 11-0 against Guam in 1975
  9. 11-0 against American Samoa in 2004
  10. 10-0 against Solomon Islands in 1983
  11. 10-0 against Northern Mariana Islands in 2023
  12. 10-1 against Tuvalu in 2019

Worst Losses

  1. 0-13 against New Zealand in 1981
  2. 0-11 against New Caledonia in 1969
  3. 0-10 against Australia in 1981
  4. 0-9 against New Zealand in 1952
  5. 0-8 against Australia in 2002

Team Achievements

Continental Awards

Regional Awards

  • Pacific Games
    • Gold medal (2): 1991, 2003
    • Silver medal (4): 1963, 1979, 1983, 2007
    • Bronze medal (3): 1995, 2019, 2023
  • Melanesia Cup
    • Champions (5): 1988, 1989, 1992, 1998, 2000
    • Runners-up (1): 1994
    • Third place (2): 1990, 2022

Historical Uniforms

Here are some of the uniforms Fiji's national team has worn throughout history:

1961 Home
1979 Home
1983 Home
1983 Away
1988 Home
1998 Away
2000 Home
2000 Away
2004 Home
2004 Away
2007 Away
2012 Home
2016 Home
2016 Away

More About Fiji Football

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Fiyi para niños

You can learn more about other Fiji football teams and sports here:

  • Fiji national under-23 football team
  • Fiji national under-20 football team
  • Fiji national under-17 football team
  • Fiji women's national football team
  • Fiji women's national under-20 football team
  • Fiji women's national under-17 football team
  • Fiji national rugby union team
  • Fiji national cricket team
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