Ex- keeper to be laid to rest today

Former Labasa and Nadi goalkeeper Joeli Tadrau will be laid to rest at the Enamanu Cemetery in Nadi today.

Tadrau passed away at the age of 61 at his Namaka home in Nadi, this week.

Fiji Football Association president Rajesh Patel acknowledged Tadrau’s contribution to football in the country and passed his condolences to the grieving family.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family,” Patel said.

“We have lost a great man. One who had football in his heart and football was his life.”

Tadrau’s older brother Kaiava was a former midfielder who also played for Nadi, Labasa, and Tailevu/Naitasiri.

Speaking to Fiji FA Media, Kaiava said his brother was first introduced to the sport by Bobby Tikaram who is in the management of the Nadi Airport Club.

“It was in 1976 when the Airport team was preparing to tour New Zealand and my brother was standing near the goal post and there was no one to play goalkeeper.

“He was approached by Bobby Tikaram and Emasi ‘Barcadi’ Koroi to play the position,” Kaiava recalled.

“Joeli knew it was his opportunity to tour New Zealand and accepted the offer despite knowing nothing about football,”

Tikaram said later Joeli became an excellent goalkeeper due to his flexibility.

“He did not have the height or built but was quite mobile in the goal mouth, “said Tikaram

“With dedication and commitment, he became our first-choice goalkeeper in the mid-1970s and represented the Nadi team.

“He will be dearly missed by all of us at the Nadi Airport Legends family,” said Tikaram.

Former team-mates like Johnny Williams, Ambichand Nair and Ronald Chaudhry took to social media to voice their condolences to Tadrau’s family.