Connor Rogers hopeful Cefn Druids futsal can cause upset in Champions League
Cardiff, WALES - 20 JUNE, 2021: FTSL v Cefn Druids FAW Futsal League Final 2020/2021 at Cardiff City House of Sport on the 20th June 2021. (Pic by Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
Cefn Druids Futsal captain Connor Rogers believes his team can defy the odds and cause an upset as they head to North Macedonia for the Preliminary Round of the Futsal Champions League.
The Ancients have landed for a week-long group stage where they will come up against Luxol St. Andrews of Malta, hosts KMF Proekt, and Dolphins Ashdod of Israel.
It will be the first appearance in the European competition for Cefn Druids after winning the FAW Elite Futsal Finals back in June.
Druids put in a dominating performance of the weekend of the finals, scoring over 70 goals and conceding just three across North Wales and in the national final.
They qualified for the competition by beating FTSL Futsal Club, an established team that fielded professional player Rico Zulkarnain.
Captain Rogers said: “The main focus for the club was to achieve that Champions League spot and to do it in the first season is special and shows how hard the staff and players have been working behind the scenes.”
“I feel like we can cause an upset. The confidence is high having come off four very positive and dominating performances. But it is going to be a different level of competition.
“We will take the same drive and hunger as you have seen throughout the league and will do everything we can to win.”
The Druids will start their campaign off against Maltese side Luxol St. Andrews on Saturday 21st August. They will then play on Sunday 22nd against host side KMF Proekt and their final match on Tuesday 24th when they face Dolphins Ashdod of Israel.
After such a dominating performance Rogers thinks Cefn Druids have a great chance of causing an upset.
“The three games are going to be tough but I feel like we’ve prepared well and are ready to compete.
“We face Luxol St Andrews in the opening game which is the highest-ranked team in the preliminary
round, I and the boys are excited to go head to head and test ourselves against the very best.”
The preliminary round consists of eight groups of four with the group winners and best runner-up going into the main round of the competition.
Rogers, a Welsh Futsal international and former Wrexham Futsal and Cheshire Futsal player. After signing for Druids in December 2020 he will be making his third appearance in the Champions League is hoping to use his experience to lead his teammates.
“We want to compete at the highest level and this is the perfect opportunity for us to show we can.
“We’re going there with the aim of topping the group and to showcase what Welsh Futsal is all about.
“This will be my third time competing in the Champions League and I’m hoping I can use my experience to help lead the club in making history.”
