15 Jun 2016

Sport: Fiji football says visa issues sorted for Olympics

11:59 am on 15 June 2016

Fiji Football is confident there will be no further visa issues when the team travels to the Olympic Games.

National coach Frank Farina was unable to attend the draw for the Rio football competitions two months ago because he didn't have the required visa to transit through Buenos Aires airport en-route to Rio de Janeiro.

Fiji football coach Frank Farina.

Fiji football coach Frank Farina. Photo: OFC via Phototek

He eventually made it to Brazil a couple of weeks later for the Olympic squad's four-match tour but missed Fiji's opening match at the Oceania Nations Cup in Papua New Guinea last month.

Despite travelling with the team to Port Moresby, he was turned away at the airport because Australian passport holders now require a visa to be issued before entering the country.

Roy Krishna celebrates scoring the winning goal against Solomon Islands.

Roy Krishna scored three goals at the Nations Cup and will be a key player for for Fiji in Rio. Photo: OFC via Phototek

Fiji Football vice president Taranesh Reddy said that change had not been made clear to them.

"Previously the rule was that Australians didn't need a PNG visa but they said after 2013 or something the rules have changed and Australian passport holders cannot be issued a visa on arrival," he said.

"Their visa should be stamped in the passport before their arrival in the country - changes nobody knew about it. As far as the Brazil thing is concerned we have already worked out things and it should not be a problem - everything is ok for the Olympic Games. Definitely we can assure that this kind of thing should not happen in future."

The Fiji Olympic squad will return to camp at the start of July.