Photo Credit: OFC Media
OFC referees Chris Sinclair and Antony Riley’s preparations for the FIFA Futsal World Cup™ are almost complete, with the tournament in Uzbekistan just a day away from kick-off.
For the second World Cup in a row, Sinclair and Riley will represent Oceania referees and the wider refereeing community on the biggest stage.
They’ve been in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, for about two weeks. Before that, they spent a fortnight in Dubai, physically and technically preparing and acclimatising for the conditions they’ll face.
“In Tashkent, temperature and time zones wise are very similar to Dubai. It’s only one hour difference, so better than coming from New Zealand where it’s, I think, seven- or eight-hours difference,” explained Riley.
“But yeah, we’re really set and prepared to get going in the competition.”
The tournament carries plenty of expectations and increased pressure as a referee, but it’s nothing Sinclair and Riley haven’t faced before, and they are more than ready to face it again.
“Obviously, this is the pinnacle tournament, a Futsal FIFA World Cup. So yeah, it’s always a little bit of a step-up. There’s always going to be a little bit more of a nerve, like a little bit more butterflies flying around,” said Sinclair.
“If you go out, referee or officiate the match, and trust in your team, then a match is a match.”
It’s been a few months since their last match in OFC, with the Futsal Men’s Champions League final in New Caledonia back in April. Some of the other referees are coming from professional leagues in South America and Europe, making it even more important for them to be ready.
“The magnifying glass becomes even bigger. For two referees from Oceania, two referees from New Zealand, people are like, why are you here? What is it that is special about you two to not only represent Oceania, but to represent the same country inside Oceania?” said Riley.
As for their goals at the World Cup, Riley added, “We want to perform at our highest level.”
“Whatever the outcomes are, whatever matches we get, at the end of the day, if we leave the tournament with our heads held high, knowing we’ve done our best and we’ve sent Antony off on a big hurrah. That would be the best way to do it. Last international match, last opportunity to referee,” added Sinclair.
Before Riley blows the final whistle on his officiating career, the long-time friends are just enjoying their time in the largest city in Central Asia.
Uzbekistan recently hosted a couple of warm-up matches against five-time champions Brazil, which Riley hopes has generated more interest in the Futsal World Cup for the hosts.
“We just hope that the excitement remains and that the crowds and the passionate people of Uzbekistan get in behind the competition,” said Riley.
“It’s always nice to have a full stadium or a good atmosphere for teams to play and for us to officiate.”
The pair have been appointed to officiate the Group C match between 2021 finalists Argentina and Ukraine at Humo Arena in Tashkent on Monday morning [NZT].