That’s a tough blow for Fiji ahead of their World Cup Qualifiers semifinal against New Zealand. Losing Nabil Begg and Samuela Kautoga—two key players—will definitely test their squad depth. Begg’s hamstring injury and Kautoga’s foot issue mean Fiji will need to reshuffle their lineup and defensive structure.
On top of that, Gabriel Matanisiga, Scott Wara, and Brendan McMullen are recovering from the flu, which could further impact their preparations.
However, their back-to-back friendly wins (3-0 over Auckland United and 1-0 over Eastern Suburbs) show that they’re in solid form. With one final friendly against Wellington Phoenix on Saturday, coach Rob Sherman will have a last chance to fine-tune his squad before facing New Zealand on March 21 at Sky Stadium.
Do you think Fiji can still put up a fight against New Zealand despite these setbacks?