Fiji Football Association President Rajesh Patel says the Fiji Under 23 side is developing for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
The Junior Bula Boys suffered a disappointing 9-0 defeat to New Zealand in the OFC Men’s Olympic Qualifier in Auckland last Saturday but Patel believes there is a lot of potential in the team.
He said while he is disappointed with the team’s result, Fiji FA will be waiting for the overall tournament report from head coach Rob Sherman.
Patel said the team will be shifting its focus to the big picture which is the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers and for that, the Fiji Under 23 players will be allowed to feature in international friendlies next year in the build-up process.
He added that the next big task for the national team is the Pacific Games which will be played in November and December this year.
In the 2019 edition of the Pacific Games in Samoa, Fiji secured bronze and he mentioned that a few players part of the Fiji Under 23 team will be selected in the Bula Boys team to help Fiji win gold in the Solomon Islands.
