On February 14th, Wannaplay, the first application dedicated to 5-a-side soccer players, will be released. Here’s an overview of this app that should delight fans of the discipline.
“The idea just came to me. In fact, many friends used to call me to organize 5 vs 5 games, kind of like I was an organizer (laughs)”. That’s how Massi Feknous came up with the idea to create Wannaplay. Together with his two partners, Wassim Youssef and Alexandre Mattellon, Massi Feknous embarked on this project: creating an app to facilitate the search and creation of 5-a-side soccer matches in various centers around the region.
The goal is clear: to meet the demand of all 5-a-side soccer enthusiasts and help these centers fill their fields. As the co-founder explains: “The aim, for players, is to meet their demand and ensure they are not missing out on soccer. For 5-a-side centers, the goal is to help them fill their fields. Some suffer from a lack of attendees, especially during the day. Sixty centers have closed this year in France mainly because of this. That’s why through the app, we will try to help them manage their off-peak hours, by offering discounted rates during the day for example, or by trying to diversify their clientele by offering afternoons dedicated to children, people with disabilities, football clubs…”.
Book and pay online, find players, rate the level, sportsmanship, or attendance of a team, that’s an overview of the features offered by Wannaplay. “If today I want to play and I don’t have a team or am missing some players, I can log in to the app and search for players based on my needs”.
Each player will then be able to rate their opponents based on their level and sportsmanship. A feature that holds its importance, according to the Nice-based entrepreneur: “Rating is important, especially for search filters. People aged 40-45 coming to play in the evening to relax and have fun won’t necessarily look for a 5-star player (maximum rating). They will likely focus more on sportsmanship than on level.”
Note that the app will include a free account as well as a premium account (€3.99), with some advantages that Massi Feknous unveils: “The premium account allows the player to really integrate into the foot 5 community. They will have access to the ‘MyPlayer Pack’ where they can enhance their profile with photos, videos, and create their own ‘PlayerCard’, similar to the FIFA video game. They will also have access to the ‘PackMyTeam’, where they can create their team, recruit, or invite players”.
The hexagon in sight
In anticipation of the app’s release, scheduled for next February 14th (available on Apple, Android, and Windows Phone), the three founders have embarked on a charm offensive, organizing a tournament that took place last December 27th at Footclub5 in Crémat. A way for the three entrepreneurs to test the waters: “We wanted to get a sense of the excitement Wannaplay generated and how to collaborate with a 5-a-side center, in this case, the one in Crémat. We created a group on Facebook, where we now have over 800 likes, and we offered this tournament during the Christmas school holidays. It was a resounding success in terms of play, sportsmanship, organization, and collaboration with the center”.
Following the success of this event, the app’s founders have once again entrusted Footclub5, this time to organize the inaugural tournament, set for next February 28th. The three entrepreneurs from Nice are full of ambition and plan to host a tournament each month, before possibly expanding and diversifying, as Massi Feknous confides: “We are currently focusing on 5-a-side soccer, but the app will also cover sports such as futsal and beach soccer. We’re trying to develop Wannaplay, primarily with the region’s 5-a-side centers, but we have our sights set on the Nice-Marseille-Lyon-Paris axis. And why not reach other French-speaking countries, especially Belgium or the Maghreb”.
So, mark your calendars for February 14th to discover this new app, which should delight all lovers of the discipline.
