Six futsal clubs have arrived in Suva, Fiji, for the OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League 2025, the third edition of the tournament.
The competition will be held at Vodafone Arena in Suva, where hosts Suva Futsal Club will be joined by defending champions AS PTT from New Caledonia, Mataks FC from the Solomon Islands, Southern Legions FC from Vanuatu, Gulf Komara Futsal Club from Papua New Guinea, and Waikato Rapids from New Zealand.
AS PTT FC
AS PTT FC arrive as the defending champions and have competed in each of the previous two OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League finals.
“It’s a joy and an honour to represent our country. Even though we won last time, it’s a clean slate,” said coach Michel Wassin.
Last year AS PTT defeated Mataks FC 4-3 in a thrilling final in front of their home fans at L’Arene du Sud in New Caledonia.
“It’s up to us to put in the effort, that’s what we’ve been trying to do. Last year, we were at home. This year, it’s not the same.”
Wassin said his side have felt good since arriving in Suva, but aren’t getting ahead of themselves as they attempt to defend their title.
“For every match we go in as defending champions this year. But for me, the counter has been reset to zero.”
Suva Futsal Club
Tournament hosts Suva Futsal Club have competed in all three editions of the OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League but never finished higher than fifth. This year they are looking to push further.
“Our teams’ preparations have been ramping up in the last few weeks, and all of our boys are 100% fit,” said coach Vivek Nadan.
On their home court, Suva FC is likely to receive plenty of support and are excited to compete against OFC’s best.
“Games like this against such high calibre teams are very hard to come by. We’ll treat every game like a final.”
Coach Nadan also spoke of the importance of the competition as an important initiative for developing players in the region.
“It’s good for the game across the region and a good pathway for players to go on and represent their nations at the OFC Futsal Men’s Cup.”
Mataks FC
2024 runners-up Mataks FC are back at the OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League and are looking for revenge against AS PTT on the opening matchday.
“We’ve prepared well and are ready to compete.” said coach Francis Lafai.
A club from the Solomon Islands has been present in each of the two previous finals, with Kooline FC winning the title in 2019.
“If our boys stay focused and we take it one game at a time, we can go far.”
Like some of his coaching counterparts, Lafai also spoke of the importance of the competition as a pathway to the international level.
“Some of our players want to compete at the highest level on the international stage, and this competition gives them that experience to be better.”
Southern Legions FC
Southern Legions FC are one of three debutants at the OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League in 2025, and the third different club from Vanuatu to compete at the tournament.
“It’s very important for us to be playing in this competition for the first time,” says coach Henry Kelsei.
“For many of our players it’s the first time that they have competed at an international level and this will upskill our players and help us develop moving forward.”
Southern Legions will be hoping to become the first club from outside of New Caledonia or the Solomon Islands to reach the final.
“We must remain focused and disciplined. We want to do our best to be a better team as the competition progresses.”
Gulf Komara Futsal Club
Gulf Komara Futsal Club are making history as the first team from Papua New Guinea to participate at an OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League.
It comes off a landmark year for futsal development in the nation, with the introduction of its first domestic futsal league this year.
“For us it’s a learning stage and an experience we can take back home to build the sport within our country.” said coach David Aua.
Whilst they may start as underdogs given their lack of experience, Aua remains positive about their chances.
“Consistency is key. The boys are ready for the challenge, and we’ll give it our best shot.”
Waikato Rapids
The Waikato Rapids are the first New Zealand club to compete in the competition since the inaugural edition in 2019.
“Our preparation has gone well, and all our players are excited. We’re expecting a lot of competitive games and a lot of intensity,” says coach Jet Lim.
Lim believes the OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League is an important opportunity for his young team to compete against the best in the continent.
“With New Zealand qualifying for their first FIFA Futsal World Cup™ last year, competitions like this are important as a taster for us to compete and gain experience in preparation for wanting to push on as far as we can.”
Representing their country for the first time, Lim wants his team to remain focused and buy-in to the experience.
“The most important thing is that we compete. We want to be competitive for all 40 minutes of each of our games.”
The OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League 2025 runs from November the 16th to November 23rd, with all games live and free for football and futsal fans to enjoy on FIFA+.
Photo credit: OFC Media via Phototek