[Source: Tongan Football]

Tonga Mataliki Coach Kilifi Uele openly shared his disappointment regarding the Bidesi park allocated to his team for the OFC Women’s Nations Cup training.

This was raised during yesterday’s press conference at the Fiji Football headquarters in Vatuwaqa where coaches and captains from Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu were present.

Uele says he was dissatisfied with the condition of the field designated on Wednesday (July 2nd) for their final preparations as any team’s main focus is to ensure player safety.

He indicated that his colleagues likely shared his sentiment, as all coaches desire the best training environment for their players.

“But I just have to be honest in what I’m looking at the whole of our organization of how we prepare the team to be very competitive in this tournament. Due to respect, I was humble enough to say I appreciate everything that you do and good luck for the rest of the tournament.”

The Tongan team is allocated Ratu Cakabou Park in Nausori also for training.

As the host country, Fiji FA CEO Mohammad Yusuf clarified the situation, attributing the issue to the Fiji Sports Council’s responsibility in properly marking the right ground.

The Tongan team was initially assigned Buckhurst Park but was forced to train behind Bidesi Park, where the conditions were reportedly poor.

Yusuf explained that upon receiving a call from the coach about the unsatisfactory ground conditions, Fiji FA officials immediately visited the site to address the problem.

The association then contacted the Fiji Sports Council to rectify the situation, which they did.

The Tongan team is allocated Ratu Cakabou Park in Nausori.

As the host nation, it is Fiji Football’s responsibility to provide all participating teams with proper transportation, accommodation, and training facilities.

The Nations Cup is projected to inject approximately $1.7 million into the country’s economy.

Other designated training venues include PTC ground in Nasese, Ratu Cakobau Park in Nausori, and Buckhurst Park in Suva.

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