What next for Iranian women’s futsal after drab Asian Cup run?
A new head coach looks inevitable and imminent for the Iranian national team following a below-par campaign at the newly-finished AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup in Hohhot, China.
Iranian girls still had something to cheer about on the final day of the competition as a 3-1 victory over the host in the third-place playoff saw the country join Japan and Thailand in securing a spot at the inaugural Women’s World Cup in the Philippines later in the year.
However, uninspiring performances and a first defeat in three editions for the two-time champion – a last-four setback against Japan – has convinced the national governing body of the sport to part ways with head coach Forouzan Soleimani ahead of the world showpiece in six-months’ time, according to several reports in recent days.
News website Football 360 reported this week that Soleimani had been informed of the federation’s decision immediately after the third-place victory, adding she refused to join the celebrations and was in tears while saying goodbye to her players in the locker room.
According to the report, the Iranian federation has already reached agreement with former coach Shahrzad Mozaffar for the job.
Mozaffar, who worked as an AFC analyst at the competition in Hohhot, was in charge of the bench when Iran won a second Asian title in 2018 and is expected to return to the role for a second spell.
The writing was always on the wall for Soleimani’s team after a poor preparation for the tournament was followed by a shaky start in China.
Iran edged out the Philippines 1-0 in their opener, and then beat Hong Kong 3-1 to secure a knockout spot, before its 12-game winning run in the Asian Cup history came to an end against Vietnam in controversial, humiliating fashion.
Soleimani’s girls deliberately played for a goalless draw in their final group game, tanking the match to avoid Japan until the final, though the cynical approach backfired eventually as Japan’s shock defeat to Thailand later on the final day of the group fixtures forced the two powerhouses into the same half of the knockout bracket.
“Our team was carried away by past successes going into the tournament, while our opponents came fully prepared with solid strategies, and reaped the rewards in the end,” former Iran coach Shanaz Yari told ISNA.
“This team went seven years without any real program due to COVID pandemic and other issues. Now we all need to come together to make sure the team will have a decent campaign at the World Cup. Just being there isn’t enough. We have to work hard to be among the top teams., which won’t be easy, but these players have the potential to succeed.”