Playing at home is both an advantage and disadvantage for the Fiji Under-17 side currently preparing for the OFC U17 Championship.

The tournament is planned to be held in Suva and Ba from the 11th to the 21st of this month.

Coach Sunil Kumar says defending a home turf is always a tough battle, especially with this tournament serving as a qualification to the FIFA U17 World Cup later this year.

“Playing at home is always an advantage and also pressure on the team, players and officials. I’ve discussed with the team that it shouldn’t be a pressure on them but motivation to play at home, playing for the nation, their families and their team.”

Coach Sunil Kumar.

Kumar adds while the team knows the huge task ahead, they also need the support to give them an extra kick during game days.

Fiji’s first match is against Samoa before taking on Tonga in its second pool game.

The Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea are not part of the tournament.