Akuila Cama 
[Source:Fiji Football Association/Facebook]
Out of the 23 players that will leave our shores tonight for the OFC Under-19 Men’s Championship in Samoa, four are going to board a plane for the first time.
This was revealed by Junior Bula Boys Head Coach Marika Rodu yesterday while outlining the journey behind the selection and preparation of his squad for the Championship.
Rodu says the four players are proof that the Fiji Football Association’s search was not based on reputation or previous international exposure, but on identifying genuine talent wherever it could be found.
For the quartet, their first-ever flight will be in national colours, travelling with the Junior Bula Boys on a mission to qualify Fiji for another FIFA U20 World Cup.
Rodu said the final squad emerged from an extensive identification programme which attracted hundreds of aspiring players.
He adds around 150 players attended trials around Fiji, while they also travelled to New Zealand for a two-day trial involving 52 players, including footballers who had come from Australia, the United States, Dubai and Canada.
The selection process went through five phases before the final squad was confirmed.
Fiji opens its campaign against Vanuatu at 11 am next Wednesday.
