Fiji's new approach to talent development

Despite these challenges, the Fiji Football Association (FFA) is determined to unlock the nation's footballing potential, and it is providing one of the best examples of how national associations can benefit from FIFA’s ground-breaking global report, which examined talent development in 205 countries. Moreover, Fiji is set to benefit further from FIFA's Talent Development Scheme which will provide expert guidance to help MAs make the most of their potential from 2023 onwards.

“With Fijian football, given the right development in the next 10 to 15 years, we can produce players for [the] European market and [the] Asian market as well," says FFA Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Yusuf, adding that Fijians have already shown their sporting prowess in rugby. “That report exposed a lot of things to us, that we needed to change our mindset and change how we govern the game in the country.”

The FFA has already implemented numerous measures based on the findings of the FIFA survey. At senior level, the Fiji Premier League has been expanded from eight to 10 teams to provide more games at the highest level within the country. The league attracts interest among Fijians abroad, and it broadcasts some of its matches on a pay-per-view basis to generate income for local clubs.

A new rule has also been introduced obliging each team to have at least one U-19 player in the starting line-up and another named as a substitute. Technical Director Timo Jankowski says this is already helping, with more talented homegrown players now gaining valuable experience in senior competitions.

Coaching standards are improving, too: "We have a policy that says anybody who wants to coach the Premier teams has to have an OFC Senior C Licence," says Yogendra Dutt, the FFA's Head of Coaching. "Previously, anybody could walk in and coach any team." He said a similar policy would soon be enforced at youth level.

To increase competitive opportunities for youth players, the youth league system has been reorganised and streamlined and, for the first time, leagues have been introduced at U-13 and U-15 level.

Following a detailed consultation process that included key football stakeholders from accross the country, a new national curriculum has been drawn up, and the country's first football academy has opened on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-biggest island and home of Labasa FC. "We need more academies," says Jankowski. "There’s so much talent, but because of the geography and because there was no academy, we couldn’t do much … just with this academy, we will increase the amount of talented players."

Three new full-time members of the technical staff have been appointed to lead regular weekly development programmes from U-8 to U-15 at each of three FFA training centres. This represents a significant improvement, as there was previously nothing formal in place for these age groups outside of school environments.

Oceania currently has only one professional club, in the shape of New Zealand's Wellington Phoenix, and the FFA is looking for more exchange and engagement with other parts of the world. Yusuf remembers what happened when Fijian teams were invited to take part in the Dana Cup in Denmark a few years ago. "When those players came back, it changed their mindset," he said. "Our players need to go and play in Europe or in Asia to get exposure to a higher level of competition."

Jankowski says it would be hugely beneficial if more Fijian players could follow in the footsteps of national team captain Roy Krishna and play abroad. “If it could be, for example, in Europe, in a really big footballing nation, I think that would keep the ball rolling, and that would also inspire all the players in the Fiji Premier League, the youth players," he says. "I really think people would understand that not just in Fiji but in the whole Oceania region, there’s a lot of talent."