Photo Credit: OFC Media via Kirk Corrie
One might be forgiven for taking the view that Roy Krishna’s career as one of the most high profile footballers in Oceania is beginning to slow down.
The Odisha FC forward turns 37 in August and having just played in his fourth OFC Men’s Nations Cup, there seems little left to see and do for the prolific Fijian.
That’s certainly not a perspective shared by Krishna, who is no mood to look beyond his playing career and is keen to add to his incredible tally of 41 goals in 57 caps at international level – an OFC record in the men’s game.
“With God’s grace I’m feeling better when I wake up every morning. There’s no complaints so far, the body is feeling well, my mind is really focused, so I’m just taking it day by day and at the moment I don’t think it [retirement] will be any time soon,” Krishna says.
There is little doubt the passion that the man from Labasa continues to feel when pulling on the Fiji jersey. It’s a sense of pride that helps maintain that drive to be the best and help his nation push further.
“Anytime my country needs me, I’m always available, and it’s always an honour and privilege to do well for my country. Anytime my country needs me, I’m always there.”
It’s a drive that gives Krishna even more landmarks to aim for, especially with his seemingly insatiable appetite to score even more goals at international level. His performances at the OFC Men’s Nations Cup 2024 in Fiji and Vanuatu once again caught the eye, with five goals enough to secure him the Golden Boot award as tournament top goalscorer.
It’s a laser-focus that is evident when pressed on what more he would like to achieve.
“To score more goals! I want to score more than 50 if I can. I’ve played for more than 15 years, and i’ve only played 52-53 caps, which is not good.
“We have had a lot of coaches come and go but now with Rob [Sherman], I think we have a lot of international matches lining up, so it’s good. It’s good for football, for the country, you know, to develop players because when you play more international games, players can have the opportunity to grow as a footballer and learn from other people, especially when you play abroad.”
Those opportunities could prove invaluable for the current crop of young Fijian players, who are showing considerable promise not just at senior level but across the age-grades at international level.
It’s a feeling that Krishna shares, highlighting the better pathways available for promising players compared to when he broke onto the scene.
“I think during my time, there was less opportunity to go overseas. But now we have a lot of young boys, especially in the national team. Before there was really maybe one or two and now you can see a majority are in their 20s. I’m the only one over 30.”
“I think if they’re really focused on their life, if they want to play abroad, they need to go. You can see that not just in Fiji, Samoa is also one of the teams that have a lot of young players, so the future looks bright for football not just in Fiji but across Oceania.”
As well as a natural leader on the pitch, Krishna’s role as an OFC Ambassador gives him even further opportunity to help guide young players across the region and offer his experience as a way to help develop the next generation of football stars from the South Pacific.
“I think I just want to be that motivator you know, that if I can go this far, coming from a village barely wearing soccer boots, going all the way to Asia in India playing and making name for my country.”
“They just need to have the belief, so what I want to do in the Oceania region is talk to all the countries and say, look if I can do it, you can do it too. You just need to believe in yourself, have the right people guiding you, because in football you need these kind of people to humble you.
“You need these kind of people to really bring you down or to lift you, so that’s what we need at the moment, but I think you can see the future in Oceania is growing, especially with the young players.”
There is perhaps one specific aim on the horizon for Krishna. Despite his talents having been on show in an OFC Men’s Nations Cup, OFC Men’s Champions Leagues, FIFA Club World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the potential to represent his country at a FIFA World Cup™ would be what Krishna describes as “the dream.”
The expansion to 48 teams for the FIFA World Cup 26™ in Canada, Mexico and the United States including a guaranteed qualification spot for OFC, as well as an additional FIFA Intercontinental Playoff Tournament berth, means the opportunity has never been greater for Krishna and Fiji to grace the ultimate stage.
“That’s the dream, you know, every player wants to play there.
“If you know, we make it all the way, it will be good for me personally but more for the country, but it’s gonna be a tough task, so let’s see what the future holds for us.”
Despite the possibility of an historic FIFA World Cup™ appearance, Krishna’s focus returns to the future of football in the region and to those who will be wearing their national team shirt with pride in the years to come.
“I would say let the kids, especially the young ones, let them enjoy it to a certain age, and then you can push them, they need your support. You know, because normally when they’re young, when they’re seven, eight years old, we always think they could be a professional player – they have to play, play, play.”
“I think every every kid needs that, especially me when I was one of them. You know, I was lucky, lucky to have this from my parents, and have that guidance – so you need the support of the families.
“If you have the mindset to be a professional, then go for it. It’s only you who can do the work and have the courage to go for it.”