Futsal clubs welcome maiden NFA Cup

Futsal Namibia says the introduction of the NFA Cup to futsal will provide much-needed competitive action for clubs while helping teams prepare for the upcoming league season. The draw for the inaugural NFA Cup futsal competition was conducted at the NFA technical centre in Windhoek on Monday, with eight first-division fixtures scheduled for Concordia College on 13 June. The winners will progress to the next stage, where they will face the bottom eight clubs from the Futsal Premier League on 14 June. Futsal Namibia spokesperson Greyano Rusberg says the competition was initiated by the futsal fraternity and comes at an important time for the sport. “The initiative came from futsal itself to ensure that the first-division teams are the first ones to play. This competition comes just before we open our league next month,” he says. The knockout format means a single defeat will end a team’s participation in the tournament. Rusberg says knockout competitions are, however, decided by performances on the day. “In knockout rounds it is not about fairness. It is about the best team on the day and the most prepared team that will win,” he says. Rusberg believes the competition will have a positive impact on player development and the overall growth of the game. “I think it will have a great deal of impact on the players. We’re also looking to grow the league nationally, and this initiative comes just before we open our league next month,” he says. According to Rusberg, discussions with the Namibia Football Association about including futsal in the NFA Cup began several months ago. “It was a lengthy deliberation with the federation, and two or three months ago we got the green light that futsal would be included in the NFA Cup,” he says. He says clubs and coaches were consulted on the format before it was approved. “Yes, they were consulted,” he says. Rusberg says the response from clubs has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly after a lengthy period without competitive matches. “Most of the coaches who responded said they simply want to play. Going five or six months without competition is difficult on the futsal side, but this initiative leads into the Premier League and First Division competitions starting next month,” he says. Boston Madrid coach Luciano Isaaks has welcomed the introduction of the competition, describing it as another positive step for the growth of futsal in Namibia. “The excitement is quite high. A few months ago we had a Fifa futsal coaching course, and the Afcon qualifiers at the same time. Now we have the NFA Cup. “We are very happy and pleased with what the NFA and Futsal Namibia are doing for futsal in Namibia,” Isaaks says. Although Boston Madrid earned a top-eight finish in last season’s Premier League and are expected to enter the competition at a later stage, Isaaks says his side will be closely following the opening-round action. “We might not play this weekend because we finished in the top eight of the Premier League, but we will definitely be at the venue to watch the teams and assess the competition. Our aim is to win the cup,” he says. Isaaks says the team has used the time since the competition was announced to prepare despite challenges relating to access to suitable training facilities. “Most of the playing fields that are in good condition are difficult to secure, but thanks to the Fifa futsal coaching course we gained more ideas on how to adapt and think outside the box. “We’ve been using what is available to our advantage and I think we’re well on track. Come match day, we will be ready,” he says. The post Futsal clubs welcome maiden NFA Cup appeared first on The Namibian .