Courtesy: Fiji Times


Controversial end

by Amit Raj

Friday, August 13, 2010

IT was controversy on and off the court as Fiji was narrowly beaten 6-4 by New Zealand in the Oceania Futsal Championship yesterday.

Fiji players, captain Kamal Hassan, Roy Krishna and Ratu Josefata Dugucagi in particular were left frustrated with dubious decisions against them as the Kiwi Futsal Whites escaped with crucial professional fouls and diving.

Hassan ended up copping a yellow card for trying to argue a point with the referee.

More drama unfolded during the after-match interview as Hassan explained to the local media about the controversial calls that eventually cost them victory.

Fiji Football Association's media officer then crashed the interview session minutes later instructing Hassan to take back his comments warning him it could get him into trouble.

Fiji team's head of delegation and Futsal Commission chairman Anil Sharma said one of the referees' control of the match was 'poor'.

"I was sitting with one of the OFC officers during the game and even he admitted the referee made blunders," Sharma said.

"Definitely as head of delegation, I will raise my concerns by writing to the OFC."

Sharma said Fiji could have won the match.

"In Futsal, you can score two or even three goals in two minutes and off-course the result could have been different as we were consistently attacking towards the end.

"But our players were getting penalised while the referee turned a blind eye to fouls by opposition," he said.

Fiji made a slow start and trailed 3-0 towards the breather before an opportunist strike by Sedric Dutt made halftime scores 3-1.

Fiji returned a stronger side after the break and two minutes later Krishna narrowed the deficit with a thunderous long range effort

Sensing a fight back, Kiwi coach Matt Chandler reintroduced his money-man Micky Malivuk, who took a minute to put New Zealand up 4-2 following a mistake by Levi Tawake.

Another Tawake blunder gifted Lucas Silva New Zealand's fifth goal.

Tawake was immediately replaced by Josaia Ratu and Petero Dauniseka who pulled one back in the seventh minute.

When play resumed Krishna showed his class and smashed one against the cross bar before Dugucagi made it 5-4 with eight minutes to play. The last five minutes was tense as Fiji increased the pace forcing New Zealand players into committing professional fouls.

Malivuk scored four goals in the win and New Zealand's other goal was scored by Dylan Manickum.


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