SEVEN NATIONS SET TO COMPETE FOR OFC FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Futsal Championship kicks off in Suva, Fiji on Sunday with seven nations competing for a place at the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil in September.
The tournament is destined to have a new winner this year as New Caledonia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tuvalu and Vanuatu all compete for the championship which Australia has dominated since the tournaments conception.
Australia has won four titles in a row since 1992 with New Zealand and Fiji both earning runners up honours on two occasions, New Zealand in ‘92 and ‘04 and Fiji in ‘96 and ’99.
Australia left OFC on January 1, 2006 to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and their absence provides a pathway for another nation to represent Oceania at the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil in September.
Australia was cast in the same group as world champions Brazil at the FIFA Futsal World Cup - Chinese Taipei 2004 and finished the group stage of the tournament without a win.
Futsal – an indoor form of football played with five players per side and a weighted ball – has become increasingly popular throughout countries in OFC and the lure of a FIFA World Cup and the absence of heavyweights Australia will make this tournament well received throughout all competing nations.
The OFC Futsal Championship kicks off on Sunday 8 June at 17H00 with the Solomon Islands entertaining New Zealand in the tournament opener.
The tournament follows a round robin format based on a league system and runs from Sunday 8 June through to Saturday 14 June.
2008 OFC Futsal Championships
Dates 8 – 14 June 2008
Venues Vodafone Arena, Suva, Fiji
Format Round robin tournament based on a league system. The winner will represent OFC at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008.
Teams Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
| Match Day 1 – June 8 2008 | |||
| Kick Off | Team A | Team B | Result |
| 5.00pm | Solomon Islands | New Zealand |
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| 6.30pm | Tuvalu | Vanuatu |
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| 8.00pm | Fiji | New Caledonia |
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| Bye | Tahiti |
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| Match Day 2 – June 9 2008 | |||
| 5.00pm | New Zealand | Vanuatu |
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| 6.30pm | Solomon Islands | New Caledonia |
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| 8.00pm | Tuvalu | Tahiti |
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| Bye | Fiji |
|
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| Match Day 3 – June 10 2008 | |||
| 5.00pm | Vanuatu | New Caledonia |
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| 6.30pm | New Zealand | Tahiti |
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| 8.00pm | Solomon Islands | Fiji |
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| Bye | Tuvalu |
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| Match Day 4 – June 11 2008 | |||
| 5.00pm | New Caledonia | Tahiti |
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| 6.30pm | Vanuatu | Fiji |
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| 8.00pm | New Zealand | Tuvalu |
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| Bye | Solomon Islands |
|
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| Match Day 5 – June 12 2008 | |||
| 5.00pm | Tahiti | Fiji |
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| 6.30pm | New Caledonia | Tuvalu |
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| 8.00pm | Vanuatu | Solomon islands |
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| Bye | New Zealand |
|
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| Match Day 6 – June 13 2008 | |||
| 5.00pm | Fiji | Tuvalu |
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| 6.30pm | Tahiti | Solomon Islands |
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| 8.00pm | New Caledonia | New Zealand |
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| Bye | Vanuatu |
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| Match Day 7 – June 14 2008 | |||
| 5.00pm | Tuvalu | Solomon Islands |
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| 6.30pm | Fiji | New Zealand |
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| 8.00pm | Tahiti | Vanuatu |
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| Bye | New Caledonia |
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