Nadi F.C.

Last updated

Nadi D.F.A.
Nadi FA.png
Full nameNadi D.F.A.
Nickname(s)The Jetsetters
Founded1937;88 years ago (1937)
Ground Prince Charles Park
Nadi, Fiji
Capacity18,000
ChairmanSameer Taki
Manager Asif Khan
League Fiji Premier League
2024 FPL, 6th

Nadi Football Club is a Fijian football club based in Nadi that competes in the Fiji Premier League. Their home stadium is Prince Charles.

Contents

History

Nadi Football Club was founded in 1937 under the leadership of Edward Grant. [1] The local competition held during the year included the teams: Koronubu, Sabeto, Bhartiya and Votualevu. Nadi played for the first time in the Inter-district competition in 1939, when it beat Nadroga in the preliminary round by 2 goals to nil but lost to Rewa in the semi-final by the same margin.

Nadi are 8-time champions of Fiji. Nadi won the Inter-District Championship (IDC) for the first time in 1969 under the Presidency of Cr. Shri Venkanna Chetty. They have won their last two IDC finals (against Lautoka 3–1 in 1998 and Ba 1–0 in 1999), which came after their last IDC win in 1974. Nadi qualified for the championship after a 3-team playoff with Ba and Labasa. Ba were favourites to win the play-offs but were upset in the first match against Labasa by 3–0. Nadi then beat Labasa by 3–0 and Ba 1–0 to qualify for the Oceania Club Championship.

1999 Oceania Club Championship

In the Championship, which they hosted, Nadi beat New Zealand's Central United 1–0 in the semi-finals courtesy of a Marika Namaqa free kick. Nadi, an amateur team, then lost the final to Australia's South Melbourne FC, a professional outfit, by 5–1. This match was played in heavy rain, with South Melbourne scoring 3 penalty kicks. Nadi's lone goal was scored by Watisoni Voli.

The next year in 2000, Nadi went undefeated in the National League by winning 17 of the 18 games and drawing one against Ba.

Achievements

1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2015.
1969, 1971, 1974, 1998, 1999, 2002.
1978, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1996.
1996, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019.
Runner-up 1: 2017.
2015.

Performance in OFC competitions

1999  – Finalist – Lost against South Melbourne FC Flag of Australia (converted).svg (stage 3 of 3)
South Melbourne FC Flag of Australia (converted).svg 5–1 Flag of Fiji.svg Nadi
Steve Isoifidis 8'
David Clarkson 16'
Michael Curcija 47' pen
Vaughan Coveny 50'
Steve Panopoulos 73' pen
(Report) Watisoni Voli 87'
Prince Charles Park, Nadi, Fiji
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: ?

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Samuela Tamanisau
2 MF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Rahul Krishna
3 DF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Luke Rawadamu
4 DF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Sekove Naivakananumi
5 FW Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Rusiate Matarerega
6 MF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Jone Ralulu
7 MF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ William Valentine
8 MF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Christopher Kumar
9Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Krishna Sami
10 FW Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Joel Shelvin Prasad
11 DF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Ilimotama Jese
No.Pos.NationPlayer
12 DF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Ame Votoniu
13 MF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Josevata Malakai
14 FW Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Surjason Sami
15 MF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Peni Tuigulagula
16 DF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Rupeni Rabici
17 MF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Patrick Joseph
18 FW Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Andrew Naicker
19 MF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Sailosi Rayaqona
21 MF Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Imran Shah
22 GK Flag of Fiji.svg  FIJ Vereti Dickson

See also

References

  1. "FIJI FA District Affiliates".[ permanent dead link ]

Bibliography