The Digicel national football side has started its preparation for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifiers to be staged next year in March in Qatar.
Team Manager, Anushil Kumar, confirmed the squad currently in camp for three weeks at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba has now increased to 20 players.
Kumar said getting all the players in camp was their priority.
“We started our camp last week with 14 non-working players after getting the green light from the Fiji National Sports Commission but from today we have a total of 20 players after getting leave approvals from the Fiji Police Force,” said Kumar.
“We are just waiting for the teachers to get their release while our northern players are currently been trained by our second assistant coach Senaila Bera in Labasa.
“There are few overseas based players who will be called when the boarder opens.”
He added captain Roy Krishna will join the team a week before the qualifiers and hopefully in the January FIFA Window.
Meanwhile, head coach Flemming Serristlev is impressed with the players’ fitness level.
He said the players have been focused on the physical preparation last week due to non-contact restrictions in place.
“I am happy that players were following their training schedules during five months of lockdown,” said Serristlev
“I am equally happy that we have been given the greenlight to play contact sports now which will allow us to focus on the playing philosophy.
“The boys have not touched the ball for past six months so we are happy that we will be able to play football now.”
The team will break camp next week for the resumption of Digicel Premier League and will march back into camp in November.