Courtesy: Fiji Times


We throw in towel

Monday, July 13, 2009

FIJI has pulled out of the Oceania Beach Soccer Championship to be held in Tahiti at the end of this month.

The Fiji FA council said it not have the time to select and assemble a team.

Fiji Football Association president Muhammad Shams-ud Dean Sahu Khan said greater development work needed to be done in beach soccer.

He said focus would turn towards development of the five a-side game.

"We have seen the result in Futsal during the Oceania Championship in Suva," Dr Sahu Khan said.

"From next year we will start a National Futsal League.

'We will get the help of experts from FIFA and Oceania Football Confederation to help us."

He said a new academy being built in Suva would have a futsal ground.

There are plans t, with a similar pitch planned for the Ba academy.

He said they would target schools.




Courtesy: Fiji Times


Dark ages

Monday, July 13, 2009

FIJI will stay in soccer's dark following the reversal of a decision to do away with 60-minute soccer, former Fiji captain Abdul Mannan says.

He said the 60-minute game did not in help development in any way.

"We've been affiliated to FIFA for 70 long years and still the Fiji Football Association can't realise that nowhere in the world is a 60-minute game played."

He labelled the use of the format as a money-making gimmick.

We need to introduce 90-minute games at all levels.

"Fiji FA needs to look to the world for guidance," he said.

"We're not here for money. We're here to develop soccer.

"All the tournaments have sponsors but we don't know what happens to the money because we can't see any development work.

He said Fiji's performance in the Oceania Futsal championship was a good example of the lack of development.

"It's sad, "I read in the papers about a new Futsal academy but it sounds like another false promise."

Soccer strongman Mohammed Shams-ud Dean Sahu Khan told the FACT opening in Suva in June, the FA was doing away with the 60-minute format from next year.

After yesterday's reversal, Mannan said the game at home needed a 'solid restructure' "because tournaments put players under a lot of pressure".

"There is too much soccer. We need to cut down the number of tournaments.

"If there is a structured season, fans will adjust and flock to watch 90-minute soccer."

"We need to revive club games. Club soccer is dead," he said.

"Club level soccer was the backbone when Fiji soccer was thriving," he said.








Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com