Infos Sports of Wednesday, 15 June 2016

Source: cameroon-tribune.cm

Futsal: Dichotomy in management

File photo File photo

Two versions of the sport discipline are practised in Cameroon; Fifa and AMF versions.

Futsal is a derivative of football created by Juan Carlos Ceriani Gavier in Uruguay in 1930. Etymologically the word ‘futsal is a blend of the Portuguese words, ‘futebol’ and ‘sala’ meaning football in a hall. However the similarity between football and futsal ends there as they are two distinct sports disciplines with specific rules of the game.

A futsal team is made up of twelve players but only six players take part in the game; a goal keeper and five field players. However all twelve players take part in the game as they can be substituted several times and roles can changes during the game with any field player becoming the goal keeper and vice versa.

It can be played on rough earth or covered soil within a surface area equivalent to a handball or basketball court.

The rules of the game are a mixture of four disciplines; football, handball, basketball and water polo.

The first futsal world cup was organised by the international federation of futsal, Fifusa and was invited to practise the sport under the canopy of Fifa. When Fifa modified certain rules, there was a scission.

It was from the ashes of Fifusa therefore that the “Association mondiale de futsal”, AMF was created. The discipline was first introduced to Cameroon in 1998 by Michel Tchoya, a civil servant with the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education.

After four years of activity, Fecafoot took over the management of the sport but faced with the in-action, Colonel Kuitche sought and got the authorisation to create “La Ligue nationale de futsal” in 1998.

Owing to persistent negligence from Fecafoot, the National futsal league got affiliated to AMF on March 7th 2011 and hence creating a situation of dichotomy which two structures managing the sport in Cameroon.

It is with talents emerging from these various competitions that the League was able to constitute a national selection which took part in the first Africa Cup of Nations in the discipline which took place in Tunisia in 2013. The League presently boasts of 832 licensed players of futsal.

Fecafoot affiliate Cameroon in the qualifiers for the 3rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations which took place in South Africa.

Cameroon was butted out of the competition by Angola. The futsal and Beach soccer commission at Fecafoot is setting up a national championship in futsal in the next days.