Kiribati’s men’s national team are champions of the Premier Division at the 86th FMF Inter-District Championship. Te Eitei beat Seaqaqa FC 6–1 in the final at HFC Bank Stadium, Suva, on Sunday 11 October.
It was Kiribati’s first appearance at the IDC, and the first time in the competition’s history that Fiji Football has invited another nation to take part.
How the final unfolded
The teams went in level at 1–1 at half-time. Seaqaqa were reduced to ten men just before the hour, and Te Eitei took control. Nabetari Itiata, who scored twice, restored the lead early in the second half, and the second half finished with five unanswered goals, including strikes from Peter Diehm and Bauro Martin Jr.
The scoreline carried extra meaning. Seaqaqa had beaten Kiribati 4–2 in the opening match, so the final was a chance to put that right, and the players took it.
A squad built on sand
Many of this squad learned the game on sandy pitches, as there is no grass pitch in Kiribati. After the opening defeat, Te Eitei beat Nadroga 6–0 for the first win in the senior team’s history, then knocked out Fiji’s Under-17 side 3–1 in the semi-final.
The coaching staff thanked the I-Kiribati community in Fiji, and especially the students from the University of the South Pacific who came out in numbers to support the team at every match.
The title came with a $6,000 prize. Kiribati also swept the individual awards: Nabetari Itiata took the Golden Ball, Bauro Martin Jr the Golden Boot and Toom Kiteon the Golden Glove.
