New Iran coach Mozaffar facing mammoth task ahead of Women’s Futsal World Cup
New Iran head coach Shahrzad Mozaffar will look to turn the national team’s fortunes around ahead of the inaugural Women’s Futsal World Cup, kicking off on November 21 in the Philippines.
Mozaffar, 54, replaced Forouzan Soleimani on Iran bench this week, following Team Melli’s underwhelming campaign at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in early May.
A third-place finish at the expense of host China on the final day saw Iranian women join Japan and Thailand in booking a ticket for the Philippines. However, a run of unconvincing results and performances throughout the tournament suggested significant improvements will be needed if Mozaffar’s side is to succeed at the global showpiece.
Stepping into the tournament as the two-time defending champion, Iran edged out the Philippines 1-0, and then beat Hong Kong 3-1 to guarantee a knockout spot, but its 12-game winning run in the Asian Cup 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. The cynical approach, however, backfired as Japan’s shock defeat to Thailand forced the two powerhouses into the same half of the knockout bracket.
Iran labored to a 3-1 extra-time win against the Chinese Taipei in quarterfinals, before a 3-2 loss to Japan – beaten by Iran in the previous two finals – left Iranian players facing the harsh truth of a power shift in in the Asian women’s futsal.
With less than six months until the World Cup, Mozaffar, who led Iran to the Asian crown in 2018, will now have to restore the confidence and enthusiasm in her squad before the visit to Southeast Asia.
Farzaneh Tavassoli, Fereshteh Karimi, Nasimeh Gholami, Sara Shirbeigi, and Tahereh Mahdipour – integral members of the title-winning teams in 2015 and 2018 – formed the old guard of the Iranian aging squad in China. Yet apart from captain and goalkeeper Tavassoli, the other four made little impact, underscoring the urgent need for rejuvenation under the new coach.
Given Mozaffar’s proven track record in developing futsal talent with Iran and Kuwait, there’s good reason to believe she can cultivate another golden generation of the sport on her return to Team Melli’s bench.
In a recent interview with Iran Daily, Tavassoli said lack of “adequate preparation and high-caliber warm-up friendlies” eventually cost Iran the title defense in China. Now Mozaffar will hope the national futsal governing body devises a rigorous preparatory plan for the world event.