Bobby Matitahatiwen

Dutch futsal player (1959-2025)

Bobby Matitahatiwen, also written as Bobbie Matitahatiwen or Bob Matitahatiwen (18 June 1959 – 5 January 2025) was a Dutch futsal player[2]

Bobby Matitahatiwen
Personal information
Date of birth (1959-06-18)18 June 1959
Date of death 5 January 2025(2025-01-05) (aged 65)
Youth career
until 1979 Moordrecht[1]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
from 1979 Olympia [nl] (association football)
FC Toma
National team
1983–1984 Netherlands 7 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Biography

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Matitahatiwen is regarded as the best Dutch futsal player of his generation.[3] He won the Gouden Schoen (golden shoe), the best player of the year award, in 1984.[4]

Matitahatiwen made his debut for the Netherlands national futsal team on 27 January 1983 against Italy. He played a total of seven matches between January 1983 and November 1984 with the national team and scored five times. On club he played as an association footballer with Olympia Haarlem [nl] from 1979.[1] In futsal he played with FC Toma, that was later called Datarex and Datagold, in the Eredivisie Futsal [nl] during the 1980s.[5] He was selected as a guest player on the Feyenoord futsal team, with the players of the main association football team, on 27 December 1984 and received mixed reactions after the match.[6][7][8]

He was a cousin of footballer Simon Tahamata.[6]

Matitahatiwen worked as a policy officer at the Dutch Healthcare Authority. He lived during and after his career in Moordrecht.[1][3] He died on 5 January 2025, at the age of 65.[2]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Onderkomen te krap van Olympia". Het Vrije Volk (in Dutch). 22 August 1979. Retrieved 7 January 2025 – via Delpher.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Bobby Matitahatiwen". onsoranje.nl (in Dutch). 7 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Zaalvoetbal in de jaren '80, dat was wat…". Siera ABC (in Dutch). 5 February 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  4. "Van Basten niet in de zaal". Het Parool (in Dutch). 20 December 1984. Retrieved 7 January 2025 – via Delpher.
  5. "Voormalig futsalinternational Bobby Matitahatiwen (65) overleden". onsoranje.nl (in Dutch). 7 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Feyenoord met 'Neef Bobby' de zaal in". Het Vrije Volk (in Dutch). 27 December 1984. Retrieved 7 January 2025 – via Delpher.
  7. "Bijna 3000 toeschouwers in Merwehal | Tahamata klasse apart". Het Vrije Volk (in Dutch). 28 December 1984. Retrieved 7 January 2025 – via Delpher.
  8. "Techniek staat op tweede plan bij indoor-soccer". De Waarheid (in Dutch). 2 January 1985. Retrieved 7 January 2025 – via Delpher.