Kulas gear up for qualifiers
THE Digicel Fiji Kulas football team is gearing up for the Oceania Football Confederation Olympic Qualifiers in Samoa from February 7-19, with their 26-member squad resuming camp in Ba today after a threeday break.
The final 23-member squad for the qualifiers will be named on Saturday, and they have also welcomed USA-based player Preeya Singh to their squad while having to deal with the absence of Trina Davis because of injury.
Head coach Angeline Chua expressed her satisfaction with the current squad.
“We have 26 players in the squad, inclusive of one overseas player Preeya Singh, we are happy to have her join us,” said Chua.
“We are three weeks into our preparations, we had a threeday camp break, so that the players go back and do their packing and take a break from the three weeks of hectic schedule.
“The squad is a mix of top senior players from the South Pacific Games and the best performers from the Young Kulas Team.”
Chua highlighted the positive bonding between both generations of players and the mentorship role of senior players in guiding the younger ones in terms of culture within the camp.
She shared the team’s aim to top their group in the qualifiers, emphasising the need to win all matches and score plenty of goals.
This strategic approach is aimed at potentially facing defending champions New Zealand in the later stages of the competition.
The Digicel Kulas are placed in Group A alongside Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and American Samoa as they aim to secure qualification for the Summer Olympics in Paris.