Airton Andrioli has stated that the national soccer team will be the strongest team ever to represent Solomon Island at the national level for the SPG this time around in Apia, Samoa.
Andrioli announced his 40-man squad of overseas and local based players this month and expects that each player earns their place in the final 21. "What the players must understand is that we will not select a player that does not keep up to the demand of the training schedules and competitive environment in the sessions. All players must earn their place," says Andrioli."If we are to achieve results in Samoa we must be mentally and physically fit in order to achieve that goal." Andrioli stated that Gold is everybody's aim and the team is working towards that goal. "We can change the team if some players, even two weeks before the 25th of August. I want to field the best team ever on stage," says Andrioli. Meanwhile, overseas based players George Suri, Stanley Waita and Junior Fa'arodo have yet to arrive in the country.
A notable exclusion is Bartram Suri and Andrioli explains why. "You know we have an abundance of players who play Suri's position. We have Naka Tinoni Ratu, Henry Jr Fa'arodo, Jack Samani, and Abraham Iniga and so on. He will not cope with the physical preparations and the competition of the young player playing his position. If he was in another position then we can see that we do have problems in our midfield defenders and defenders," says Andrioli.