Tehran Times - Iran will be the team to beat in Group D of the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup as they aim to secure a record-extending 13th title after falling to a 3-2 defeat to Japan in the 2022 final.
Four-time AFC Futsal Player of the Year Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh will return to the fold in the absence of 2022 Yili Top Scorer Hossein Tayyebi, who is sidelined through injury, the-afc.com wrote.
Team Melli are schedule to meet Afghanistan on Thursday at the Bangkok Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
“We had a training camp, 35 days before the tournament including a series of friendlies against Vietnam, Morocco and New Zealand in Ho Chi Minh City,” said head coach Vahid Shamsaee.
“Hossein Tayyebi couldn’t recover in time for this tournament. However, despite losing one of our best players, the team are well prepared to achieve our targets in this competition.
“Afghanistan are a talented team and can certainly spring a surprise in this tournament. They are very technical and we analyzed them as much as we could and we believe it will be a challenging match.”
As newcomers, Afghanistan are determined to make a bold statement with head coach Mohammad Haidari leading the charge.
“The Afghanistan futsal team have undergone rigorous training and preparation, including training camps in both Iran and Thailand. With an average age of 21, the team are focused on developing young talent eager to showcase their potential in the tournament,” said Haidari.
“Facing powerhouse teams like Iran presents a significant challenge for Afghanistan, especially in the first group game. Many Iranian players compete in top leagues, making the task even more daunting.
“However, Afghanistan have shown significant improvement recently. We aspire to establish ourselves as a formidable force in Asian futsal.”