2020 Fiji Premier League Explained

Competition:2020 Fiji Premier League
Season:2020
Winners:Suva
Relegated:Nasinu
Continentalcup1:OFC Champions League
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Suva
Rewa
League Topscorer: Sairusi Nalaubu
(9 goals)
Prevseason:2019
Nextseason:2021

The 2020 Fiji Premier League was the 44th season of the Fiji Premier League (Vodafone Premier League for sponsorship reasons), the top-tier football league in Fiji organized by the Fiji Football Association since its establishment in 1977. The season began on 1 February 2020.[1] Ba are the defending champions.

Team changes

To Fiji Premier League

Promoted from 2019 Vodafone Senior League

From Fiji Premier League

Relegated to 2020 Vodafone Senior League

Teams

A total of eight teams compete in the league.

Stadiums and locations

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
BaBaGovind Park13,500
LabasaLabasaSubrail Park10,000
LautokaLautokaChurchill Park18,000
NadiNadiPrince Charles Park18,000
NasinuNasinuNasinu Park1,000
NavuaNavuaThomson Park1,000
RewaNausoriVodafone Ratu Cakobau Park8,000
SuvaSuvaANZ Stadium30,000

Transfers

The first transfer window of 2020 Fijian Football season opened on January 1 and finished on January 31.[2]

Current league champions Ba FC brought some important players like former Lautoka FC players Samuela Drudru, Beniamino Mateinaqara[3] and Benjamin Totori. They have also signed with former Suva FC defender Laisenia Raura.[4] Ni-Vanuatu forward Micah Tommy and Solomon Islands winger Darold Kakasi remained in the squad for 2020 season.[5] [6] They will also count on former New Zealand national football team head coach Ricki Herbert that signed a short-term contract with Ba FC until the end of 2020 OFC Champions League.[7]

Lautoka FC added some important players like former Ba FC winger Shazil Ali, goalkeeper Joela Biuvania and Fiji U23 international Arami Manumanubai[8] and Ni-Vanuatu forward Alex Saniel.[9] They also hired Vanuatu international Jason Thomas[10] but he is not going to play the Vodafone Premier League.

Suva FC also added some international power to their squad by bringing two Nigerian players: the defender Michael Oyesanya and the striker Jibola Afonja[11] that played the 2019 season for Samoan side Kiwi. However they lost Solomon Islands international Gagame Feni who moved to Vanuatu to play for Galaxy.

Current Battle of the Giants, Inter-District Championship and Champion vs Champion winners Labasa FC managed to hold some key players like Siotame Kubu and Antonio Tuivuna that attracted the interest of Suva FC and Ba FC respectively.[12] [13] They also brought Ratu Apenisa who scored two goals in the 2020 Champion vs Champion against Ba.[14] Solomon Islands international Dennis Ifunaoa left the team to come back to his homeland to play for Solomon Warriors.[15]

Nadi FC will count on midfielder Avinesh Suwamy that left Ba after playing for the Men in Black for more than ten years.[16]

Nasinu FC lost young goalkeeper Mohammed Alzaar Alam who moved to New Zealand to play for Manukau United FC.[17] However they added some good firepower by signing with three players from Solomon Islands: Atkin Kaua, Jared Rongosulia and Marlon Nonone.[18]

Recently promoted Navua FC added some firepower by signing with 2019 Vodafone Senior League top scorer Taniela Rakariva.[19]

League table

Top scorers

[20]

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Sairusi NalaubuSuva9
2 Rusiate MatareregaNadi8
3 Ilisoni LogaivauLabasa7
Christopher WasasalaSuva
5 Rusiate MatareregaNadi6
6 Samuela GavoLautoka5
Dave RadrigaiLautoka
8 Samuela DrudruBa4
Siotame KubuLabasa
Sakaraia NaisuaNadi
Ali ShazilLautoka
Apisai SmithNavua
Tevita WaranaivaluRewa

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020 Vodafone Premier League Draw. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129180450/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020-vodafone-premier-league/. dead.
  2. Web site: Fiji Football transfer window to open on January 1st. FBC News. 2020-01-29.
  3. Web site: Drudru and Mateinaqara already training with Ba. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129214327/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/19/samuela-drudru-and-mateinaqara-already-training-with-ba/. dead.
  4. Web site: Laisenia Raura: good to be back home. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129202047/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/22/laisenia-raura-good-to-be-back-home/. dead.
  5. Web site: Darold Kakasi is back to Ba. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129203627/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/21/darold-kakasi-is-back-to-ba/. dead.
  6. Web site: Tommy & Thomas: Ni-Vanuatu power in Ba. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129214313/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/20/tommy-thomas-ni-vanuatu-power-in-ba/. dead.
  7. Web site: Ricki Herbert to Ba: short term coaching aiming high in OFC Champions League. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129182341/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/25/ricki-herbert-to-ba-short-term-coaching-aiming-high-in-ofc-champions-league/. dead.
  8. Web site: Lautoka smashes Nadi as Rewa beats Nasinu in a breathtaking match in Vodafone Premier League – Oceania Football Center . 2020-02-09 . 2020-05-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200517094828/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/02/09/lautoka-smashes-nadi-as-rewa-beats-nasinu-in-a-breathtaking-match-in-vodafone-premier-league/ . dead .
  9. Web site: Alex Saniel has a perfect debut for Lautoka – Oceania Football Center . 2020-02-09 . 2020-04-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200422034314/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/02/02/alex-saniel-has-a-perfect-debut-for-lautoka/ . dead .
  10. Web site: Jason Thomas signs for Lautoka – Oceania Football Center . 2020-02-09 . 2020-05-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200518012206/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/02/07/jason-thomas-signs-for-lautoka/ . dead .
  11. Web site: Nigerian duo set to join Suva. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129181640/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/27/nigerian-duo-set-to-join-suva/. dead.
  12. Web site: Siotame Kubu close to Suva move. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129214204/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/15/siotame-kubu-close-to-suva-move/. dead.
  13. Web site: Labasa and Ba to clash in Fijian CVC. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129214247/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/23/labasa-and-ba-to-clash-in-fijian-cvc/. dead.
  14. Web site: Ratu Anare brace gives Labasa the CVC glory. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129182256/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/26/ratu-anare-brace-gives-labasa-the-cvc-glory/. dead.
  15. Web site: Benjamin Totori and Dennis Ifunaoa debut for Solomon Warriors. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2019-11-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20191109073656/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2019/11/09/benjamin-totori-and-dennis-ifunaoa-debut-for-solomon-warriors/. dead.
  16. Web site: Avinesh Suwamy to leave Ba. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129181735/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/28/avinesh-suwamy-to-leave-ba/. dead.
  17. Web site: Fijian Mohammed Alam signs with New Zealand club. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129182603/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/20/fijian-mohammed-alam-signs-with-new-zealand-club/. dead.
  18. Web site: Kaua and two more Solomon Islanders to sign for Nasinu . Oceania Football Center . 30 May 2023 .
  19. Web site: Rakariva strengthens Navua attack for 2020. Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-29. 2020-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129203636/https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2020/01/16/rakariva-strengthens-navua-attack-for-2020/. dead.
  20. Web site: www.fijifootball.com.fj/competition-list/vodafone-premier-league-2020-536399427/. fijifootball.com.fj. 2020-01-29.

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