FIJI will kick off its campaign at the 2008 Oceania Football Federation FUTSAL Championships against New Caledonia.

The draws for the June 8-14 tournament to be held at the Vodafone Arena (Fiji) were released yesterday.

The tournament will have seven OFC nations including Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The OFC Futsal Championship is held every four years with the winner progressing to the FIFA Futsal World Cup, which will be held in Brazil this year during September.

2008 marks the first OFC Futsal Championship since Australia switched confederations from OFC to Asia on January 1, 2006.

Australia has won the last four OFC Futsal Championships spanning back to 1992 and their absence will provide a great opportunity for other OFC nations to attend their first FIFA Futsal World Cup.

In the last tournament in 2004 New Zealand finished runners up to Australia with Vanuatu defeating Fiji in the third and fourth play-off.

National coach Juan Carlos Buzzetti will be assisted by former rep Intiaz Khan.

The national side will be named this week by Buzzetti.

A number of 11-a-side players are in contention to make the cut in the 12-member side.

These include Dinesh Mudaliar, Sandip Nair, Joela Baledrokadroka, Azmat Begg and Mira Shahib.

Draws -

Match Day 1
8 June 2008
Kick-off                   Team  A                           Team B
TBC                          Solomon Islands              New Zealand
TBC                          Tuvalu                              Vanuatu
TBC                          Fiji                                    New Caledonia
Bye                           Tahiti

Match Day 2
9 June 2008
Kick-off                    Team  A                            Team B
TBC                           New Zealand                     Vanuatu
TBC                           Solomon Islands               New Caledonia
TBC                           Tuvalu                               Tahiti
Bye                            Fiji

Match Day 3
10 June 2008
Kick-off                     Team  A                            Team B
TBC                            Vanuatu                            New Caledonia
TBC                            New Zealand                     Tahiti
TBC                            Solomon Islands               Fiji
Bye                             Tuvalu

Match Day 4
11 June 2008
Kick-off                  Team  A                                Team B
TBC                         New Caledonia                      Tahiti
TBC                         Vanuatu                                Fiji
TBC                         New Zealand                         Tuvalu
Bye                          Solomon Islands

Match Day 5
12 June 2008
Kick-off                    Team  A                                     Team B
TBC                           Tahiti                                         Fiji
TBC                           New Caledonia                           Tuvalu
TBC                           Vanuatu                                     Solomon Islands
Bye                            New Zealand

Match Day 6
13 June 2008
Kick-off                      Team  A                                 Team B
TBC                             Fiji                                         Tuvalu
TBC                             Tahiti                                     Solomon Islands
TBC                             New Caledonia                      New Zealand
Bye                              Vanuatu

Match Day 7
14 June 2008
Kick-off                    Team A                                 Team B
TBC                           Tuvalu                                   Solomon Islands
TBC                           Fiji                                        New Zealand
TBC                           Tahiti                                    Vanuatu
Bye                            New Caledonia

Sources : Oceania Football Confederation and  Fiji Times
Published : 19/5/2008 (OFC) and 20/5/2008 (Fiji Times)