After reaching their third consecutive final Labasa created history with the win, becoming the first team outside of Suva and Ba to claim the title in the competition’s 10 years, thanks to striker Sofi Diyalowai’s second-half goal.
Labasa sent defending champions Suva home following a 1-0 win in the quarter-finals before going on to defeat tournament hosts Ba 2-0 in their semi-final – ensuring a new champion would be crowned in the final.
Coach Arthur Simmons says his team’s hard work has finally paid off.
“This was our third year in a row of reaching the final and we were not going to settle for second best yet again,” he says.
“The girls played their hearts out and I just told them not to give up.”
The team did not hold a training camp before the tournament and in fact only got together Thursday night, ahead of Friday’s kick-off.
Simmons believes the competition is getting tougher each year and that all the other teams were well prepared.
“The technical skills of the players are improving and this is very good for the sport,” he says.
The Women’s IDC ran from Friday to Sunday at Govind Park in Ba, with 10 teams competing in the tournament.
Fiji Football Association president Rajesh Patel praised all the players for their efforts and says he is pleased with what he has seen from all the participants.
For more on Fiji football go to www.fijifootball.com.fj

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