FUTSAL expert Scot Gilligan has tipped Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to claim top honors in the Oceania FUTSAL Championship which kicks off in Suva next week.

Gilligan, who works as project manager for the ‘Win in Oceania’ Futsal development program, made his prediction after spending time assessing and training teams involved in the championship which will take place at the Vodafone Arena between 6-10 July.

 “The Solomon Kurukuru have been training long and hard plus have the bonus of playing in the FIFA Futsal World Cup Brazil 2008.

“ But don't forget that Vanuatu beat them fairly comfortably in last year’s OFC Futsal Championship (5-1) so it will be interesting to see if they can do the same again,” said Gilligan, who competed in the 1985 and 1988 Futsal World Championships for Australia.

Gilligan also believes the individual stars may come from these two teams.

“Jack Wetney from the Solomon Islands can beat players with ease and also has the ability to read the game while Vanuatu’s Louis Dominique has great composure on the ball and can change the course of a game,” he added on the OFC site.

The youthful New Caledonia side will be a threat with their pace according to Gilligan but the squad has not had the benefit of regular trainings.

“New Caledonia has only been able to assemble their full squad in the past three weekends as players come from both the north and south, making midweek trainings impossible.”

Fiji are also at a slight disadvantage with many of their players involved in outdoor football matches in the lead up to the event.

Whatever the outcome, Gilligan believes the OFC FUTSAL Championship – now held annually – plays a key role in helping to develop FUTSAL in Oceania.

In his drive to see the sport grow, Gilligan is working to integrate FUTSAL in schools around the region, set up domestic competitions for all levels, train coaches and teachers, and employ FUTSAL Development Officers in OFC Member Associations.

All of these initiatives are part of the FIFA-funded Win in Oceania development program.
Gilligan will be in Fiji next week to complete a technical assessment of the championship.

Fijilive

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