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Fiji Time: 5:29 AM on Wednesday 10 February

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FA wants more warm-up games

ZANZEER SINGH
Sunday, March 04, 2007

The Fiji Football Association is hoping to secure more warm-up matches for the national side in its bid to prepare for the South Pacific Games in Samoa.

The Juan Carlos Buzzetti-coached Fiji team will tour the United States next month as part of its build up for the gold medal defence.

The highlight of the tour is the match against Major League club Real Salt Lake.

The national side will play eight matches on its tour with one match against the Kansas City Wizards yet to be confirmed. Fiji FA senior vice president Mohammad Yusuf said more international matches will be lined up for the national side after the US tour.

He said Fiji FA will be negotiation with neighbouring countries for possible matches in the June and July window.

Yusuf said matches against tough opposition were essential in the build up to the SPG.

"We will be talking with the countries in the region in a bid to secure more international fixtures," Yusuf said.

"This could be against top clubs. We will be talking with clubs in Australia and New Zealand.

"There is a possibility we may play some of the island nations. We will have to see the viability of the tour. It may be better to host the teams here rather than travelling aboard."

The national team to tour the United States will be named tomorrow.

The side held two training runs at the soccer academy in Ba yesterday.

Five overseas-based players including 2003 SPG gold medal winning captain Esala Masi have pulled out of the tour.

Yusuf said they were hoping to name the strongest possible side for the tour.

He said the US tour was a major step forward for national team.

"Tours like this don't come regularly," Yusuf said.

"However, through the support of Mark Drown who is a close associate of Carlos, Arif Khan and the Fijian community in the US we have been able to stage this tour. We would look at the options of holding this tour regularly."

The national team will depart for America on April 1.

Its first match is against Santa Clara University on April 4. Fiji is ranked 153 in the world.

End of story

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