THE 29th version of the Champion vs Champion soccer series will set the ball rolling in as far as the 2020 local football season is concerned.
Pillay Garments Manufacturing sponsored Champion vs Champion series will be a 2 legged soccer series played between defending champions the 4R Electrical and General Contractors Limited sponsored Ba and Labasa.
The Champion vs Champion series started in 1992 and the Men in Black have been the most consistent team winning it 20 times.
The Ronil Kumar coached side won its first CVC title in 1993, winning against Nadroga 1-0 and 0-2 respectively.
The MIB recorded a straight 14 Champion vs Champion titles from 1993 until the Babasiga Lions broke Ba’s stranglehold on the title in 2007.
Ba walloped a hapless Suva XI in the second leg 6-2 after both the teams drew 1-1 in the first leg in 2006.
Labasa outplayed and outwitted the perennial champions of local soccer 1-0 and 2-1 respectively in the series to deny the Westerners their 15th straight Champion vs Champion series.
In 1999 though Ba nearly lost its grapple on the CVC title –– the MIB won on a protest against the Jetsetters.
The series was won by Ba 2-1 at Govind Park in the first leg and the Green Machine took out the second match 1-0 at Prince Charles Park. Technically Nadi would have been declared the winners if away goals counted but a protest was successfully lodged by the Ba Football Association.
The MIB reclaimed the CVC title in 2008 when the side proved too strong for the Sugar City boys who made their second appearance in the series. Ba won both the matches 1-0 and 4-2 respectively.
The Champion vs Champion series format changed in 2009 when it was decided by the top brass at the Fiji Football Association to include the winners of all the major tournaments in the than Super Premier Division.
