A 26-man training group was named last month and most of those players came into camp in Ba earlier this week.
Those that didn’t included Osea Vakatalesau, Malakai Tiwa, Tuimasi Manuca, Pita Bolatoga, Laisenia Raura, Beniaminio Mateinaqara and Peneame Drova, who will all no longer take part after being omitted for various reasons.
Raura and Mateinaqara cannot take their place due to work commitments while Bolatoga and Drova will also not be involved due to family matters.
Vakatalesau and Tiwa have been crossed off the list for disciplinary reasons while Manuca has made himself unavailable for the two-match series.
Fiji Football Association national team director Tarunesh Reddy says a hard line is being taken on player availability and only those with a strong desire to represent the country will be selected.
“We will not run after players who are not interested in playing and do not have any pride in the national side,” he says.
“We are planning for the future and or work started on Monday when the squad marched into camp. We have to maintain the discipline from day one and those that are not committed were dropped.”
Reddy has also confirmed that no members of the squad will be released to play in the latest round of the National Football League this weekend.
“The series against the Play Fair Brazil side is next week and we cannot afford any injuries,” he says.
The first match will take place at Churchill Park in Lautoka on August 23 while the second is set for Govind Park in Ba two days later.
Play Fair Brazil is a team that travels the world to promote goodwill through football and help raise the level of the game in the respective countries it visits.
The side’s ranks have been known to include Giovanni and Zé Carlos – both members of the Brazil squad that finished runners-up at the 1998 FIFA World Cup – as well as 1994 World Cup winner Paulo Sérgio.
For more on Fiji football go to www.fijifootball.com.fj

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