Fiji football head coach Rob Sherman says the Junior Bula Boys are itching to beat Papua New Guinea and qualify for the semifinals of the OFC Men’s Olympic Qualifier 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.
Fiji, after their 3-1 defeat to host nation and defending champions New Zealand will just need a draw while PNG will need a win to book its spot in the semis.
“It’s a make-or-break game for us. If we lose we are out, if we draw we go in but ultimately, we will try our best to win the game.”
“The boys understand the disappointment with the opening loss but we have also looked at the pros such as the resurgence in the second half which was very encouraging.”
“We are in a good frame and mindset as we hope to make amendments from the earlier loss.”
Sherman said while he has a lot of confidence in the current squad, they will need to put a lot of effort into the game to match up the physicality of PNG.
“We are in good shape; we are not carrying any injuries. There is a little bit of soreness but nothing to worry about.”
“We have a game plan that we are looking to implement which has been consistent leading into this tournament. We are working across our plan and aspects of the opposition. We have got a full contingent available for selection while a couple of boys are recovering from slight ankle strains.”
“PNG will be a good team in terms of physicality and technique which we see as a challenge. We are not expecting a pushover since we know it will be a tough match and we’ll be approaching it as such.”
Fiji will face PNG at 3pm at Go Media Stadium in Auckland.
