The Futsalroos will travel to Bangkok, Thailand to compete in the NSDF Futsal Championships 2024 as preparation for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Thailand 2024™.
The NSDF Futsal Championships 2024 is an invite-only tournament comprising of teams throughout Asia with this year's edition taking place at Nonthaburi Stadium, Nonthaburi from 23 - 28 March 2024.
A select group of four teams will compete in a Round Robin League format across the six-day event. Alongside the Futsalroos, teams from Thailand, Afghanistan, and Malaysia will vie for the NSDF Futsal Championship 2024 title.
The Futsalroos will use the NSDF Futsal Championships as preparation for April's AFC Futsal Asian Cup Thailand 2024™ after qualifying for the first time in eight-years.
All matches of the NSDF Futsal Championships will be hosted at the Nonthaburi Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility with a seating capacity of 10,000.
Following a successful campaign at the PacificAus Sports Futsal Series 2024 in the Solomon Islands in February, where the Futsalroos secured three wins from three matches, the squad will bring a mix of new talent and seasoned players to the fold.
Newcomers Noah Feilich (Football NSW) and Luiz Lobo (Football NSW) are poised to make their Futsalroos' debut, while Adam Cooper (Football Victoria) and Michael Kouta (Football NSW) make a return to the squad after missing the Solomon Islands trip. Talented goalkeeper Aaron Yu (Football Victoria) gets another chance to impress after his debut against the Solomon Islands.
Sharpshooter Shervin Keshavarz Adeli (Football NSW) will be looking to continue his goalscoring form after picking up five goals in the final match against the Solomon Islands, while Dominic Cox (Football NSW) gets another chance to stake his claim for a spot in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup squad after picking up his first-ever goal for the Futsalroos in the same match.
Looking ahead to the NSDF Futsal Championships, Futsalroos' Head Coach Miles Downie expressed his excitement about testing the squad against quality opponents.
"The NSDF comes as perfect preparation for the Futsal Asian Cup with the opportunity to play four matches against fantastic opposition," explained Downie.
"Playing teams with diverse playing styles like Thailand and Afghanistan will be crucial to our ability to adapt to the challenges we will face at the Futsal Asian Cup next month.
"Nothing beats international match exposure for a player's development. We have a few players who have never played against Asian opposition and the NSDF will help them understand what to experience at the Futsal Asian Cup.
"Thailand is always amongst the best in Asia, making the round of 16 at the last Futsal World Cup and now with the addition of Futsal Asian Cup-winning coach Miguel Rodrigo, will provide an excellent challenge for us.
"Anytime we get together as a group is incredibly valuable. The fact that we get the chance to play four internationals against Asian opposition makes it ideal.
"This tournament will enable us to get a good look at a few more players and provide us with an opportunity to experiment with a couple of things ahead of the Futsal Asian Cup but most importantly, it will provide a platform to continue to develop the group," Downie concluded.
NSDF Futsal Championships 2024 | Futsalroos Squad
| Name | Position | Junior Football Club / Member Federation | Current Futsal Team / Member Federation |
| Adam COOPER | Fixo | Ashburton Junior SC / Football Victoria | Moreland FC / Football Victoria |
| Dominic COX | Ala | Easts FC / Football NSW | Enfield Allstars FC / Football NSW |
| Ethan DE MELO | Ala | Maccabi Hakoah Junior FC / Football NSW | Mascot Vipers FC / Football NSW |
| Jamie DIB | Fixo | Lidcombe Waratahs FC / Football NSW | Mountain Majik FC / Football NSW |
| Noah FEILICH | Goalkeeper | Maccabi Hakoah Junior FC / Football NSW | Eastern Suburbs Hakoah FC / Football NSW |
| Tyler GARNER | Ala | Kalamunda United FC / Football West | Rockingham Cambio Cumbre FC / Football West |
| Wade GIOVENALI | Fixo | Castle Hill United FC / Football NSW | Dural Warriors FC / Football NSW |
| Jordan GUERREIRO | Ala | Ramsgate RSL FC / Football NSW | Mountain Majik FC / Football NSW |
| Shervin KESHAVARZ ADELI | Pivô | Northbridge FC / Football NSW | Enfield Allstars FC / Football NSW |
| Michael KOUTA | Pivô | Peakhurst United FC / Football NSW | Enfield Allstars FC / Football NSW |
| Luiz LOBO | Ala | Pequeninos do Jockey / Brazil | Enfield Allstars FC / Football NSW |
| Grant LYNCH | Pivô | Seaforth FC / Football NSW | UTS Northside FC / Football NSW |
| Scott ROGAN | Ala | Brunswick Zebras FC / Football Victoria | Fitzroy Tigers FC / Football Victoria |
| Aaron YU | Goalkeeper | FC Bulleen Lions / Football Victoria | Western City FC / Football Victoria |
NSDF Futsal Championship 2024 Match Schedule
Thailand v Australia
Date: Sunday, March 24, 2024
Time: 2:00pm (6:00pm AEDT)
Venue: Nonthaburi Stadium, Nonthaburi
Afghanistan v Australia
Date: Monday, March 25, 2024
Time: 4.30pm (8:30pm AEDT)
Venue: Nonthaburi Stadium, Nonthaburi
Malaysia v Australia
Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Time: 4.30pm (8:30pm AEDT)
Venue: Nonthaburi Stadium, Nonthaburi
Third place v Fourth place
Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024
Time: 2:00pm (6:00pm AEDT)
Venue: Nonthaburi Stadium, Nonthaburi
First place v Second place
Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024
Time: 4:30pm (8:30pm AEDT)
Venue: Nonthaburi Stadium, Nonthaburi
