Courtesy: Fiji Times


Fives split is the way to go to solve FUTSAL puzzle

by Manoj Kumar

Sunday, April 07, 2013

FINALLY we seem to have pieced together the jig-saw puzzle with FUTSAL and 11-a-side football.

There have been very few times when I have set down to put together a column that praises the Fiji Football Association, but let's give credit where it is due.

The parent body's decision to totally separate FUTSAL from the full game is laudable.

That's the way to go if we are to make it to the five-a-side world cup. That's the way to go if we are to take the shortened version of the game seriously and if we want to be competitive with Oceania region powerhouse, the Solomon Islands.

The idea of having players choose between FUTSAL and 11-a-side is commendable.

Now like the full game, players opting to play FUTSAL will have their license cards done. This means once you play five-a-side you can't play 11-a-side. You can't play here and there as and when you like, as has been the case in the past. If you want to switch then you will have to forfeit your five-a-side card and have an 11-a-side one done.

We will now have players getting serious about the code they want to play in. We have some very skillful, good ball players in the country.

Most of these players play FUTSAL and are well versed with the game. But what usually happened before was that big name players from 11-a-side would come in time for major regional meets and win themselves places in the national team.

That was wrong because otherwise the entire year these reps were busy with 11-a-side football.

Often they were picked on their form in the full code. That's where teams like the Solomons and others got the better of us.

Nothing to be taken away from the Solomons — they are a cut above the rest but with the new system in place, I am certain we are going to give them a good go. However, it won't be easy.

To make this happen, the Fiji FA will need to work hard and get sponsors, get more competitions up and running and more importantly make the five-a-side lucrative, in terms of prizemoney, so players can be lured to have a go at it.

We will also need to get FUTSAL to coincide with major tournaments like the Fiji FACT, BOG and the IDC. We will need to have the national team play on a regular basis.

The idea is great, but hopefully we can get it off the ground. If we do, then don't be surprised our first visit to a FIFA World Cup will be in FUTSAL.






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