17 Feb 2015

Sport: Fiji U20s to begin Asian tour

12:02 pm on 17 February 2015

Fiji ramp up their preparations for the Under 20 Football World Cup tonight on Tuesday with the first match of their Asian tour.

The Oceania side take on fellow World Cup finalists Myanmar in Mandalay, in the first of two internationals between the countries.

Both teams have never qualified for a World Cup before and Fiji coach Frank Farina says the tour is a great chance to test themselves against a higher standard of opposition.

"The only way that you can develop this team as best as possible is to get them exposure to more international matches against good quality opposition, irrespective of the results. This young team is embarking on a journey that not many, if any, apart from New Zealand would have experienced in Oceania, and that's the only way to improve: expose yourself to better teams [and] different styles of football outside of their own little fishbowl".

Fiji will play Myanmar Under 20s again on Thursday after their original opponents, Uzbekistan, pulled out when they were drawn in the same group as Fiji at the World Cup.

Fiji will also play two games in Malaysia before heading home.