Luisa Tamanitoakula

Fiji Kulas midfielder Luisa Tamanitoakula while reflecting on the 2022 season, believes many of her teammates reached a turning point during the OFC Women’s Nations Cup earlier this year.

The tournament was hosted here in July and the Kulas bowed out in the final losing to Papua New Guinea, missing out on a place in the World Cup playoff and have to wait for a further four years.

The 23-year-old Police Officer says that feeling of loss and disappointment has given the team a sense of new direction.

“Many of these young ones it was their turning point towards chasing their dreams in football and there’s so much opportunities for women’s football in Fiji.”

While Fiji avenged its loss to PNG during the November Pacific Four in Australia, Tamanitoakula says there is room for improvement that each individual need to account for.

The Fiji Football Association has also been vocal about its objective of developing women’s football, offering courses for coaching as well as for women referees.

Fiji FA wants to give women the same competition as that of men’s and part of the plan is to introduce women’s futsal next year.