Former Macleans College students represent New Zealand in Futsal

Posted on October 18, 2023

Two former Macleans College students have gained selection for the New Zealand Women’s National Futsal Team, the Futsal Ferns.

Dayna Manak (Batten House 2010 - 2014) and Emily Gillion (Snell House 2013 - 2017) will compete in the PFF Women’s Tri-Nation Futsal Invitational from 18 – 22 October in Manila, Philippines.

The team will play at least three matches against Indonesia and the Philippines. This tournament will serve as good preparation for the qualifying process leading into the 2025 FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup.

Dayna is one of the most experienced players in the Futsal Ferns, with six caps and four goals. This year she has been playing for Bloomsbury Futsal, in the top-tier competition in the United Kingdom. In 2018 Dayna represented New Zealand at the World University Futsal Championships.

Emily plays futsal for Papakura City FC and is a midfielder for Fencibles United. She has previously played for the Junior Futsal Ferns and she represented New Zealand last year at the World University Football Championships in Portugal. In 2018 Emily was a member of the New Zealand team at the World University Futsal Championships.

Alumni dayna manak
Dayna Manak.

Futsal is a small-sided variant of football, played with a smaller, low bounce ball, on an indoor netball-sized court. The game emphasises control, improvisation, creativity and technique.