VANUATU international footballer Alex Jason Saniel is likely to feature for Lautoka in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Champions League.
The 23-year-old, who also represented Vanuatu in the U17 and U20 age group level, was part of the Lautoka team that won the Pacific Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, last month.
Saniel played for Papatoetoe AFC in Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Conference League in New Zealand last season.
Lautoka Football Association president Shalen Prasad said they had applied for Saniel’s International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
He said they had also applied for clearance for Shamil Rao and Mohammed Shazil Ali both of whom have been playing in New Zealand.
Prasad said coach Anand Sami had been focusing on lifting the fitness level of the players.
“We host Nasinu in the Vodafone Premier League on Sunday and this match will be a test to gauge the fitness level and the playing combinations,” he said.
“We will not take Nasinu lightly because the first match of every competition is always tough.”
This is the lone VPL match that Lautoka will play ahead of the OFC Champions League kick-off on February 15 in Vanuatu.
Lautoka is in Group B with Lae City (Papua New Guinea), Malampa Revivors (Vanuatu) and Henderson Eels (Solomon Islands).
