Fiji Kulas head coach Nicola Demaine says preparations are on track ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Oceania Qualifiers, which will be played in Ba later this month.
“Things are going really well in camp. We’ve got 22 players here and everyone has now been fitness assessed, so we’ve started our fitness programme,” Demaine said.
“The girls have been doing endurance training, they were in the gym yesterday, and we’ve also had some really good on-field sessions.”
With limited time before the qualifiers, Demaine says the focus has been on simplifying key aspects of play.
“We don’t have a lot of time, so we’re keeping things nice and simple. We’ve been working on how we want to play when we build up from the back, and this week we’ll focus on how we’re going to defend. Finishing is something we work on every week.”
Demaine says the response from the players has been encouraging.
“They’re responding really well. There’s a very positive feeling around camp right now and the players are buying into what we’re trying to do.”
She also highlighted the physicality and leadership within the squad.
“I’m really happy with what we’ve got here. The physicality, the mindset, and the way the older players are helping the younger ones has been really pleasing. I think we’ve got something really good.”
Demaine says the squad is expected to be boosted with the arrival of overseas-based players.
“We’re hoping to get some overseas players joining us as soon as possible, maybe sometime next week.”