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 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.
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 - June 8 2008 (Time to be confirmed)-Solomon Islands-New Zealand, Tuvalu-Vanuatu, Fiji-New Caledonia; Bye-Tahiti; June 9 2008- New Zealand-Vanuatu, Solomon Islands-New Caledonia, Tuvalu-Tahiti; Bye-Fiji; June 10-Vanuatu-New Caledonia; New Zealand-Tahiti; Solomon Islands-Fiji; Bye-Tuvalu; June 11-New Caledonia-Tahiti; Vanuatu-Fiji; New Zealand-Tuvalu; Bye-Solomon Islands; June 12-Tahiti-Fiji; New Caledonia-Tuvalu; Vanuatu-Solomon Islands; Bye-New Zealand; June 13-Fiji-Tuvalu; Tahiti-Solomon Islands; New Caledonia-New Zealand; Bye-Vanuatu; June 14- Tuvalu-Solomon Islands; Fiji-New Zealand; Tahiti-Vanuatu; Bye-New Caledonia