The first Futsalwhites squad named since 2008 features eight new caps, with six representatives from Auckland, five from Wellington and one from Hawke’s Bay.
NZ Football futsal development manager Dave Payne says the Futsalwhites were selected after a series of regional trials and training camps conducted by OFC futsal project manager Scott Gilligan.
“It’s a young and exciting team and it heralds a new beginning for futsal under NZ Football. We’re delighted with the quality of the players and really impressed with their desire and commitment to learn.”
Payne says competing in the annual OFC champs will be a tough assignment for the newly-assembled New Zealand team, which finished fourth the last time it took part two years ago.
“In selecting this side we definitely have one eye on the future, as we know we are up against a number of powerful, more experienced teams.
“Although we are looking to progress as far as possible in this tournament, the major focus of this campaign is to gain experience and build the momentum that will benefit us in next year’s OFC champs – the qualifying tournament for the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand.”
The team’s weekly training sessions with regional squads will be complemented by a week-long high performance training camp in Auckland during July.
The new Futsalwhites’ first appearance will be as a guest team at the upcoming NZF-Futsal Men’s Open, hosted by the East City Futsal Club at ASB Stadium in Auckland from July 31 to August 1.
Futsal, the only FIFA-approved indoor version of football, was recently incorporated into New Zealand Football, and OFC’s Gilligan is impressed with both the standard of players and the recent developments.
“I recognise that futsal in New Zealand is still in its infancy even though it has been here for nearly 25 years,” he says. “It will only blossom from here under the guidance of NZ Football and Dave Payne”, Gilligan says.
“The game in general will greatly improve and there is talk of introducing futsal into the school system throughout the country by next year. If this comes to fruition then futsal in New Zealand will explode,” he says.
“Of course the other important initiative is the inaugural national league that will commence at the end of this year and will attract even better players who wish to play at the highest level. The future is bright.”
New Zealand’s opening match is against current OFC champions and 2008 FIFA World Cup qualifiers the Solomon Islands on August 8.
New Zealand futsal team:
Elias Billeh (GK) East City (Auckland)
Clayton Chapell (GK) East City (Auckland)
Ouadhah Ragued East City (Auckland)
Marvin Eakins East City (Auckland)
Miro Major East City (Auckland)
Dylan Manickum East City (Auckland)
Lucas Corderio Osorio Da Silva Capital City Futsal (Wellington)
Miroslav Malivuk Capital City Futsal (Wellington)
Mohammed Said Solimanpour Capital City Futsal (Wellington)
Issac O’Hara Capital City Futsal (Wellington)
Khalid Razouk Capital City Futsal (Wellington)
Brayden Lissington HB Futsal (Hawke’s Bay)
Story courtesy NZF Media.
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