Fiji FA to send 1 club

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Fiji FA chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf. Picture: FT FILE

The chief executive officer of the Fiji Football Association confirmed that Fiji would be represented by only one football club at the prestigious 2022 Oceania Football Confederations (OFC) Champions League.

Mohammed Yusuf said the reason for the reshaped format of the OFC Champions League was to ensure the health and wellbeing of footballers in the region because of the ongoing issues presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We will be having a separate national playoff in June next year,” he said.

“The national playoff will see the top two teams in the 2021 Digicel Premier League battle each other in a home and away series with the winner advancing to the 2022 OFC Champions League.

“The winner from Fiji will be joining the other seven national playoff winners from the remaining member associations in the finals of the OFC Champions League next year.

“The OFC committee agreed to have a revamped 2022 OFC Champions League because of the challenges posed by COVID-19.

“It’s going to be interesting because currently five teams being Lautoka, Suva, Rewa, Ba and Labasa are in contention for the lone spot.”

Western giants Ba and Lautoka represented the nation during the 2019 OFC Champions League with Ba bowing out to eventual winners, Hienghene Sport of New Caledonia 1-2 in the quarter-finals while the Sugar City XI failed to progress to the elimination rounds.

Hienghene Sport became the first New Caledonian team to win the tournament and qualified for the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar after defeating fellow compatriots AS Magenta 1-0 in the grand finale.

The 2020 and 2021 versions of the OFC Champions League were cancelled because of border closures caused by COVID-19.

Auckland City of New Zealand is the most decorated club in the Oceania Region after amassing a total of nine OFC Champions League titles.

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