Suspended Lautoka soccer team striker Jone Vono Junior edged out star striker Roy Krishna to win the Fiji FA Footballer of the Year award for 2008.

Many thought that Krishna would walk away with the top honours, been the only Fiji player to play in the Fifa Club World Cup last season, and has been a star since he joined the Waitakare United club in New Zealand.

But it seems things had gone the other way round, when Jone Vono Junior was announced the winner at the Fiji FA awards last night.

But Krishna took out the 2008 Popular Player of the Year award. Other winners last night were Dennis Singh who won the Coach of the Year award. His Lautoka side also took out the Team of the Year award.

Finau Vulivuli, the only female soccer referee in the country won the Referee of the Year award while Nadi soccer president Jiten Kumar was named 2008 Administrator of the Year.