The Futsal Whites are determined to make history as the FIFA Futsal World Cup ™ kicks off in Uzbekistan this weekend.
No New Zealand side has ever gone past the Group stage at a senior FIFA World Cup, and coach Marvin Eakins’ team is set to compete in a challenging Group D that includes Futsal powerhouses and a mysterious opponent.
New Zealand’s Futsal journey took a significant turn when they won the OFC Futsal Men’s Nations Cup in October last year in Auckland, earning a spot at the World Cup for the first time.
But achieving their goal of qualifying for the Round of 16 in Uzbekistan won’t be easy. They face world number three-ranked Spain, eighth-ranked Kazakhstan, and a relative unknown in 50th-ranked Libya, whom they play in their opening game in Abidjan tomorrow night.
For Eakins, the opening match is like a final.
“The first game is critical.” Eakins stated. “Our goal has always been to get out of the group and to be the first senior New Zealand team to do so at a World Cup. Three points is going to put us on a good path to do so.
‘The challenge is Libya is still a real unknown. There’s not much access to see how and what they do in the world. So it’s still going to be a bit of a surprise, I guess, when we turn up and the ball starts rolling. But we have really targeted this game to get us on the front foot.” Eakins said.
(Photo Credit NZF-New Zealand coach Marvin Eakins)
However, New Zealand’s preparations have been marred by some logistical hurdles. Upon arriving in Uzbekistan, the team encountered a significant setback— their luggage went missing
“Our bags didn’t arrive from Tashkent when we flew in. So, most of the team have not had a change of clothes for four days.” Eakins explained.
“So that’s been a bit uncomfortable for the lads. It’s meant a few trips to the market to top up on some essentials. And I guess that kind of stuff, as much as it’s behind the scenes, it’s directly affected the players and how our day-to-day looks. It’s not ideal.” Eakins lamented.
New Zealand’s preparation for the tournament consisted of a warm-up tournament in Bangkok, which proved a real eye-opener and a learning experience for most of the players, who had not faced international competition at that level before.
The Futsal Whites who are ranked 19th in the world, lost 8-0 to 9th ranked Thailand, 6-2 to Guatemala (40th), 5-1 to Afghanistan (30th) and 8-3 to Kuwait. (35th)
Despite these results, Eakins is undeterred. “The results were what they were. We know the World Cup will be a huge challenge, but these games have shown us where we need to improve.”
“They were our only games that we had in our preparation. A lot of the other teams have clocked up a few more games than us. And it was important for a few of us to get some minutes under their belt just at this international level again.
“I think it kind of highlights the difference between our nation and our two-month National League compared to what the nine-month leagues look like around the world.” Eakins reflected.
The World Cup format includes six groups of four teams, with the top two from each group and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout stages.
That’s why the opening match against lowly-ranked Libya is seen as crucial for the Kiwis to have a chance of progressing.
“Three points goes a long way to being one of the best third place teams if we get to that stage. I don’t think people fully understand, but a lot of goals can be scored. So, goal difference across all the groups is something that will be watched carefully.
“We’ve got a few giants in our group as well, so we’ve got to make sure that we play our game and make sure that these guys don’t get easy goals against us.” Eakins remarked.
The eyes of the Futsal world will be on the tournament, and the New Zealanders know there is a tremendous opportunity to catch the attention of scouts.
“Definitely, a few of the guys will have that on their mind around what’s next. The World Cup is the biggest stage. I’d really be surprised if a couple of our players don’t get more opportunities after this event. We’ve already got a few overseas playing, but I think one to watch will be Adam Paulsen. He will be a great pick up for anyone that’s looking to bolster their squads around the world.”
Captain Dylan Manickum was player of the tournament at last year’s OFC Futsal Men’s Nations Cup. He is relishing being at the sport’s pinnacle competition for the first time after a tough build up tournament in Thailand.
“Yeah, I think it was a little bit difficult coming up against Thailand, who are the top 10 team as well, and other teams that have qualified for the World Cup kind of showed us the standard I think we need to be at. Teams that have gone to the World Cup before, probably with a little bit more experience.
“I think we held our own for most of the games. We just need to fix up a few things going into the World Cup and make us a bit more solid.”
The players all have family members who have travelled to Uzbekistan to support them and Manickum is grateful his parents, his fiancé and her parents will all be in the stands over the next week.
Futsal Whites schedule (NZT)
Sunday September 15 v Libya 10pm
Thursday September 19 v Spain 3am
Sunday September 22 v Kazakhstan 1230am