Futsal Navy Blues Set for SuperLeague Season

Words: AC FC Media

Friday 7 February 2025

Picture: Photosport

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Auckland City FC X NRF will face Hawke’s Bay Futsal in a double-header on Sunday, February 9, at Barfoot & Thompson Stadium in Kohimarama to kick off their 2025 Ford SuperLeague season.

New Zealand’s premier domestic futsal competition will see the country’s top teams compete across the Home Series, Travel Series, and National Series for the title of Futsal SuperLeague Champions.

The men’s competition will feature eight teams: Auckland City FC (in partnership with Northern Region Football), 2024 champions Waikato Rapids, 2023 champions Canterbury United Dragons, Bay of Plenty Surge, Capital Futsal, Hawke’s Bay Futsal, Palmerston North Marist, and Southern United.

With returning players, including captain Stephen Ashby-Peckham, Dylan Manickum, Mike Antamanov, and Denny Twigg, bolstered by new signings like Futsal White Oban Hawkins, Nic Downes’ charges will look to go one better than last year’s beaten finalists.

First to stand in their way is Hawke’s Bay Futsal, whom the Futsal Navy Blues narrowly defeated in last year’s home series. Auckland City FC won game one 1-0 thanks to a Luca Barclay own goal and edged out the second game 2-1 with a Sam Lack own goal and a late strike from the now-departed Thomas Picken.

Following this weekend, the SuperLeague moves on to the Northern Travel Series at Pettigrew Arena in Napier, where the Futsal Navy Blues will face the Waikato Rapids and Bay of Plenty Surge twice over February 22 and 23.

The journey then continues to the National Series 1 at the Akau Tangi Sports Centre in Kilbirnie, Wellington, where they will take on Southern United, Palmerston North Marist, Capital Futsal, and Canterbury United Futsal.

Like last season, the competition will be broadcast on FIFA+ and will be available globally to stream live for free.

Full the full match schedule click here

ACFC 2025 Ford Futsal SuperLeague Squad: Adam BOLLAND, Alex ROBERTS, Denny TWIGG, Dylan MANICKUM, Finn AMBRIDGE, Francisco PUERTA, Freddie GIBBINS, Guilherme GARBUGLIA, Jafar ALI ,James MARSHALL, Jonathan SIMS, Kareem OSMAN, Liam PROFFIT, Max BREINGAN, Mikhail ANTAMANOV, Oban HAWKINS, Omid RAJABI, Sam TWIGG, Samuel FAGAN, Stephen ASHBY-PECKHAM, Tasuku YONETO, Vaughan SOMERVILLE

HEAD COACH: Nic DOWNES
ASSISTANT COACH: Sam COYLE
ASSISTANT COACH: Elias BILEH
MANAGER: Jason WIN
PHYSIO: Sarah WARD