Fiji to compete in King's Cup in Thailand
Photo:
OFC via phototek / Shane Wenzlick
The Fiji national men's football team has been invited to compete in the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) 2025 King's Cup tournament, the Fiji Football Association chief executive has confirmed.
Speaking to RNZ Pacific, Mohammed Yusuf said four teams have been locked in for the 51st edition of the tournament: Fiji, Thailand, Iraq and Hong Kong.
The event will be held during the FIFA International Match Window from 1 to 9 September.
Yusuf said Fiji will play two matches against Iraq and Hong Kong on 4 September and 7 September.
He said Fiji FA's focus now is on finding a head coach, after incumbent Rob Sherman
departed by mutual agreement
this week.
Sherman coached Fiji during the OFC 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where the side failed to finish in the top two.
Rob Sherman stepped down as Fiji men's team head coach this week.
Photo:
Screenshot/Fiji FA.
New Zealand won that Oceania spot, while runner-up New Caledonia still has a chance of qualifying through a play-off round.
Yusuf said the King's Cup tournament will be a good test for the Fijians, as they kick off their campaign for the next round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Fiji is the
lowest-ranked team
among the four participating nations, sitting at 150th position out of 210 in the FIFA rankings.
Iraq, which won the title two years ago, is ranked 58th in the world.
Thailand is ranked 102nd, while Hong Kong is three places above Fiji at 147th.
Thailand won the tournament in Songkhla last year, after defeating Syria 2-1 in the final.

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Fiji FA CEO says the national men's team will play two matches against Iraq and Hong Kong on 4 September and 7 September. Photo: OFC via phototek / Shane Wenzlick The Fiji national men's football team has been invited to compete in the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) 2025 King's Cup tournament, the Fiji Football Association chief executive has confirmed. Speaking to RNZ Pacific, Mohammed Yusuf said four teams have been locked in for the 51st edition of the tournament: Fiji, Thailand, Iraq and Hong Kong. The event will be held during the FIFA International Match Window from 1 to 9 September. Yusuf said Fiji will play two matches against Iraq and Hong Kong on 4 September and 7 September. He said Fiji FA's focus now is on finding a head coach, after incumbent Rob Sherman departed by mutual agreement this week. Sherman coached Fiji during the OFC 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where the side failed to finish in the top two. Rob Sherman stepped down as Fiji men's team head coach this week. Photo: Screenshot/Fiji FA. New Zealand won that Oceania spot, while runner-up New Caledonia still has a chance of qualifying through a play-off round. Yusuf said the King's Cup tournament will be a good test for the Fijians, as they kick off their campaign for the next round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Fiji is the lowest-ranked team among the four participating nations, sitting at 150th position out of 210 in the FIFA rankings. Iraq, which won the title two years ago, is ranked 58th in the world. Thailand is ranked 102nd, while Hong Kong is three places above Fiji at 147th. Thailand won the tournament in Songkhla last year, after defeating Syria 2-1 in the final.