2020 Fiji Premier League

2020 Fiji Premier League
Season2020
ChampionsSuva (4th title)
RelegatedNasinu
OFC Champions LeagueSuva
Rewa
Top goalscorerFiji Sairusi Nalaubu
(9 goals)
← 2019
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

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Teams

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A total of eight teams compete in the league.

Stadiums and locations

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Team Location Stadium Capacity
Ba Ba Govind Park 13,500
Labasa Labasa Subrail Park 10,000
Lautoka Lautoka Churchill Park 18,000
Nadi Nadi Prince Charles Park 18,000
Nasinu Nasinu Nasinu Park 1,000
Navua Navua Thomson Park 1,000
Rewa Nausori Vodafone Ratu Cakobau Park 8,000
Suva Suva ANZ Stadium 30,000

Transfers

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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

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Suva (C, Q) 14 7 6 1 24 12 +12 27 Qualification to OFC Champions League group stage
2 Rewa (Q) 14 8 3 3 21 15 +6 27
3 Ba 14 7 2 5 22 19 +3 23
4 Nadi 14 7 1 6 25 17 +8 22
5 Labasa 14 7 1 6 17 15 +2 22
6 Lautoka 14 4 4 6 25 18 +7 16
7 Navua 14 4 1 9 23 33 −10 13
8 Nasinu (R) 14 2 2 10 14 42 −28 8 Relegation to Fiji Senior League
Updated to match(es) played on 8 November 2020. Source: Fiji FA
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated

Results

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Home \ Away BA LAB LAU NAD NAV NAS REW SUV
Ba — 2–1 0–0 0–1 0–4 0–2 1–1 3–1
Labasa 2–1 — 2–0 1–0 0–2 2–0 1–3 1–2
Lautoka 1–2 0–0 — 6–0 2–2 6–0 3–5 0–1
Nadi 5–1 0–1 3–2 — 2–3 5–0 0–1 0–1
Navua 0–3 2–1 1–2 1–2 — 7–1 2–0 2–2
Nasinu 0–2 1–0 1–1 1–3 2–4 — 3–4 3–3
Rewa 0–1 1–2 1–0 2–1 3–3 1–0 — 0–0
Suva 2–1 3–1 1–1 0–0 0–2 5–0 0–0 —
Updated to match(es) played on 8 November 2020. Source: https://www.fijifootball.com.fj/competition-list/vodafone-premier-league-2020-536399427/
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Top scorers

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[20]

Rank Player Club Goals
1 Fiji Sairusi Nalaubu Suva 9
2 Fiji Rusiate Matarerega Nadi 8
3 Fiji Ilisoni Logaivau Labasa 7
Fiji Christopher Wasasala Suva
5 Fiji Rusiate Matarerega Nadi 6
6 Fiji Samuela Gavo Lautoka 5
Fiji Dave Radrigai Lautoka
8 Fiji Samuela Drudru Ba 4
Fiji Siotame Kubu Labasa
Fiji Sakaraia Naisua Nadi
Fiji Ali Shazil Lautoka
Fiji Apisai Smith Navua
Fiji Tevita Waranaivalu Rewa

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 Vodafone Premier League Draw". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  2. ^ "Fiji Football transfer window to open on January 1st". FBC News. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  3. ^ "Drudru and Mateinaqara already training with Ba". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  4. ^ "Laisenia Raura: good to be back home". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  5. ^ "Darold Kakasi is back to Ba". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  6. ^ "Tommy & Thomas: Ni-Vanuatu power in Ba". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  7. ^ "Ricki Herbert to Ba: short term coaching aiming high in OFC Champions League". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  8. ^ "Lautoka smashes Nadi as Rewa beats Nasinu in a breathtaking match in Vodafone Premier League – Oceania Football Center". Archived from the original on 2020-05-17. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  9. ^ "Alex Saniel has a perfect debut for Lautoka – Oceania Football Center". Archived from the original on 2020-04-22. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  10. ^ "Jason Thomas signs for Lautoka – Oceania Football Center". Archived from the original on 2020-05-18. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  11. ^ "Nigerian duo set to join Suva". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  12. ^ "Siotame Kubu close to Suva move". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  13. ^ "Labasa and Ba to clash in Fijian CVC". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  14. ^ "Ratu Anare brace gives Labasa the CVC glory". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  15. ^ "Benjamin Totori and Dennis Ifunaoa debut for Solomon Warriors". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  16. ^ "Avinesh Suwamy to leave Ba". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  17. ^ "Fijian Mohammed Alam signs with New Zealand club". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  18. ^ "Kaua and two more Solomon Islanders to sign for Nasinu". Oceania Football Center. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Rakariva strengthens Navua attack for 2020". Oceania Football Center. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  20. ^ "www.fijifootball.com.fj/competition-list/vodafone-premier-league-2020-536399427/". fijifootball.com.fj. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
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