Courtesy: Fiji Times


FUTSAL releases draws

by ZANZEER SINGH

FIJI will kick off its campaign at the 2008 Oceania Football Federation FUTSAL Championships against New Caledonia.

The draws for the June 8-14 tournament to be held at the Vodafone Arena were released yesterday.

The tournament will have seven OFC nations including Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The OFC Futsal Championship is held every four years with the winner progressing to the FIFA Futsal World Cup, which will be held in Brazil this year during September.

2008 marks the first OFC Futsal Championship since Australia switched confederations from OFC to Asia.

Australia has won the last four OFC Futsal Championships spanning back to 1992 and their absence will provide a great opportunity for other OFC nations to attend their first FIFA Futsal World Cup.

In the last tournament in 2004 New Zealand finished runners up to Australia with Vanuatu defeating Fiji in the third and fourth play-off.

National coach Juan Carlos Buzzetti will be assisted by former rep Intiaz Khan.

The national side will be named this week by Buzzetti.

A number of 11-a-side players are in contention to make the cut in the 12-member side.

These include Dinesh Mudaliar, Sandip Nair, Joela Baledrokadroka, Azmat Begg and Mira Shahib.

Draws -
June 8 2008 (Time to be confirmed)
Solomon Islands-New Zealand
Tuvalu-Vanuatu
Fiji-New Caledonia
Bye-Tahiti

June 9 2008
New Zealand-Vanuatu
Solomon Islands-New Caledonia
Tuvalu-Tahiti
Bye-Fiji

June 10
Vanuatu-New Caledonia
New Zealand-Tahiti
Solomon Islands-Fiji
Bye-Tuvalu

June 11
New Caledonia-Tahiti
Vanuatu-Fiji
New Zealand-Tuvalu
Bye-Solomon Islands

June 12
Tahiti-Fiji
New Caledonia-Tuvalu
Vanuatu-Solomon Islands
Bye-New Zealand

June 13
Fiji-Tuvalu
Tahiti-Solomon Islands
New Caledonia-New Zealand
Bye-Vanuatu

June 14
Tuvalu-Solomon Islands
Fiji-New Zealand
Tahiti-Vanuatu
Bye-New Caledonia





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