Young Cokanasiga stamps her mark
DIGICEL Fiji Kula defender Asela Cokanasiga, affectionately known as Tai Asela, has emerged as a standout figure in the local football scene, showcasing remarkable resilience and talent.
The Year 13 student at Xavier College recently celebrated her success in the Fiji Seventh Form Examination and is currently in camp with her teammates, gearing up for the Olympic Qualifiers.
Identifying team bonding as a crucial area for improvement this season, Cokanasiga reflects on last year’s U19 competition loss to New Zealand in the final of he OFC Championships.
“When we played in the U19 competition last year and lost to New Zealand in the final and that was one area we saw that we really need to work on and that is our team bonding, we really need to strengthen our team bonding this season,” Cokanasiga said.
Expressing excitement about the upcoming FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup in Columbia from August 31-September 22, Cokanasiga 18, and her teammates were thrilled to learn that the secondplace finish also secured qualification.
“At first we were told that only gold medalist qualifies but when the news came to us confirming that the silver medalist is also going, we are excited and we just can’t wait to go and play for our first U20 World Cup,” Cokanasiga added.
She believes there are a lot of areas that need to be improved in terms of defense.
“We will have to work hard on our defense area around the goal mouth, the mid field overall we have to strengthen our defense,” she explained.
Solely devoted to soccer, she began playing in Year 5 at Namosau Methodist Primary School and continued through high school, joining Ba women’s FC in Year Nine.
For Cokanasiga, football holds a special place in her heart; “I love football because it is one sport that we easily can get along and socialize with each other the junior and senior players.
“The senior players look to us and motivate us and teach us techniques and team bonding is very good,” Cokanasiga added.
The second eldest in a family of four, Cokanasiga aspires to secure an overseas contract and become a professional player.
“My aim is to become a professional player and travel the world.”
Her ambitions extend beyond sports, intending to pursue studies in Sports Science at Fiji National University, striking a balance between her passion for sports and academic pursuits.
“I will have to balance sports and studies.”