Lautoka clubs pull out of NCC finals November 19, 2009
Two top Lautoka football clubs will not be participating in the National Club Championship final this weekend in Nausori due to the O League commitment of their players.
Shop and Save Blues and General Machinery United that qualified from the western zone had to opt out after a number of their key players copped injuries during the playoff last weekend in Sigatoka.
Fiji FA chief executive officer Bob Kumar said Lautoka Football Association wrote to him about their decision and the parent body has accepted their reasons for not participating and has replaced the two clubs with the best finishers behind them in the two pools.
“Lautoka football wrote to us to request for the withdrawal of their clubs as they did not want to risk injuring their players in the NCC final because they have a O League match next weekend.”
“Their reasons for withdrawal were genuine therefore after discussions we have allowed them to pull out and the two clubs will be replaced by Wailailai Youth of Ba and Downtown from Sigatoka as these two clubs finished next to the two Lautoka clubs in their respective pools.”
“O League is a major event for any football club in the region and Lautoka needs to rest its players and prepare well for their home match against Tafea FC and Fiji FA will give the side all the support and assistance it needs for the match” Kumar added.
The RC Manubhai/Southern Forest National Club Championship kicks off this Friday with defending champion Southern Forest Combine of Navua playing Service Sports of Taveuni in the opening match at 5pm.
The winner of the NCC gets $3000 while the runner up goes home with $1000.
Meanwhile the results of the zonal playoffs which took place over the weekend in Suva, Savusavu and Sigatoka are as follows:
Southern- Lokia United 1-1 Speedwing, Samabula 1-1 Lokia Sports, Southern Forest 4-1 Lincoln, Jolly Brothers 5-1 Navasa FC, Lokia United 0-0 Police, Lincoln 1-0 Speedwing, Samabula 4-0 NTC, Jolly Brothers 3-0 Lokia Sports, Southern Forest 2-0 Police, Navasa FC 4-2 NTC, Samabula 1-0 Jolly Brothers, Speedwing 2-1 Police, Lincoln 1-0 Lokia United, Navasa FC 2-2 Lokia Sports, Southern Forest 7-0 Speedwing, Jolly Brothers 6-0 NTC, Samabula 4-0 Navasa FC, Lincoln 1-0 Police, Southern Forest 7-0 Lokia United, Lokia Sports 1-0 NTC.
Western- Gandhi FC 5-0 Liverpool, GM United 1-7 4R Electrial, Downtown 1-1 Nalovo, Shop and Save Blues 10-0 Liverpool, Gandhi FC 1-1 Wailailai Youth, 4R Electrical 7-0 Nalovo, GM United 2-1 Downtown, Wailailai Youth 5-0 Liverpool, Shop and Save Blues 2-0 Gandhi Sports, GM United 7-0 Nalovo, 4R Electrical 2-0 Downtown, Shop and Save Blues 0-0 Wailailai Youth.
North- Service Sports 1-0 Katchafire, Service Sports 2-1 Katchafire.