Former All White and Waikato FC Skipper Che Bunce believes that Fiji are a sleeping giant of Oceania football.
Bunce and former Waikato FC captain Matt Williams have just returned from Fiji where they spent a week as guest players for Navua in the Inter District Cup Competition. Although his
side didn’t win the Cup Bunce saw his trip as a success.
“We didn’t win the tournament but we added a lot of value to the game,” said Bunce.
“The coaching is far behind the New Zealand level but the skills in the players are there.”
“ The boys have terrific talent but they don’t even know terms like goal-side and things like that. With us being there it helped them out. The more foreign players over there the
better as far as I’m concerned. It’s not about winning it it’s about helping the game out.”
Bunce was passionate about the support, talent and potential of football in Fiji.
“Fiji are a sleeping giant. We played in front of 15,000 people every day. There were four days of tournaments and each day there were 15,000 people coming through the turnstile and
cheering us on and you just think about the revenue they generate and the support, it’s amazing”
Bunce even entertained the thought of Fiji stepping up to professional football.
“Imagine Fiji putting an A league team together. Imagine the good it would do for the game here. They get 15,000 people to these tournaments; imagine what they would do for a team
that played in the A-league.”
It was Bunce’s third trip to Fiji and he was surprised some of the players on display at this year’s IDC had not received national team call ups.
“From the players I saw I think their national team has room for big improvements. There were a lot of good players there (at IDC) and from the Fijian performances I’ve seen, their
best players haven’t all been selected.”
Bunce found his way to Fiji through a contact in Hamilton, where he now works as a real estate agent for Lodge Realty.
“The President of the club has contacts and owns land in Hamilton and I got in contact with him through Mark Cossey (Waikato FC assistant coach), who’s been over to Fiji with him a
couple of times.”
“They have three major tournaments and a league system in Fiji. The one that I previously played in was called Battle of the Giants, and the one at the start of the year is called
the Fiji FACT tournament.”
Bunce and Williams participated in a league game for Navua as a warm up to the IDC and lost 5-0.
“Me and Matty came on at halftime when we were already 4-0 down. I was playing sweeper or ‘last man down’ as they call it. This result led to a lowering of expectation levels heading
into the tournament.”
Once the tournament began Navua hit their straps and Bunce steadied up a leaky backline while Williams caused damage at the other end.
“We were unbeaten in pool play where we were split into two groups and played four games. This earned us a semi final spot but then we were upset by Nandi.”
“The team that beat us 5-0 a week earlier got knocked out and when it was down to four semi finalists we were favourites to win, but these upsets do happen.”
Bunce found the conditions unusually refreshing for this time of year.
“The climate was good this time, usually we find it difficult with the heat but it was pretty mild and football wise this suited us. When it’s hot it’s really demanding on the body.
In this tournament I played the full 60 minutes in each game got through it ok.”
Bunce reflected on comparisons between the NZFC and the Fijian leagues and tournaments.
“Technically the NZFC is more advanced but athletically the Fijians are faster and stronger and in better condition. The Fijian sides just have a lot to learn tactically. But they’re
phenomenal athletes some of the boys.”
Bunce said there was a little bit of negative stigma attached to the guest player’s presence at the tournament as some people saw it as taking opportunities away from the younger
players, but Bunce believes the influence of top New Zealand players will only help improve the game in Fiji.