Nadroga pulled a surprising 1-0 home win against football giants Ba in the round 5 of Digicel Fiji Premier league today at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka.
The game started off with an intense pace, as Ba’s goalie Misiwani Nairube made an excellent save, denying Tomasi Tuicakau from Nadroga in the 9th minute, keeping the match scoreless.
However, Ba’s discipline started to wane when Mitieli Naiviro picked up a yellow card in the 21st minute, leading to a Nadroga free-kick that flew just over the bar.
The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when Tomasi c found the net, giving Nadroga a one point lead.
Ba tried to shake things up by substituting Abdul Sahil with Penisoni Tirau in the 41st minute, hoping to spark their attack.
Despite a more aggressive approach in the second half, Ba struggled to find the back of the net.
Tirau came close, but Nadroga’s keeper, Sakeo Taganeca, made crucial saves to deny him.
The match’s tension was evident as Ba’s Sumeet Goundar received a yellow card in the 56th minute, adding to the team’s frustrations.
Ba’s troubles compounded in the 83rd minute when Naiviro, already on a yellow, received his marching orders with a red card.
Even with the late substitution of Goundar with Ayush Kumar, Ba couldn’t salvage the game.
Nadroga held on to their slender lead, securing a memorable 1-0 victory.
