Iran to go all out for futsal glory at Islamic Solidarity Games, Shamsaei says
Iran futsal head coach Vahid Shamsaei said he would name a full-strength squad for the Islamic Solidarity Games as the country has set its sights on the ultimate prize at the multi-sport event, starting November 7 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“We will face strong opponents in the Islamic Solidarity Games, including futsal powerhouses like Morocco and Kazakhstan. Success in this tournament is of paramount importance to Iran’s Ministry of Sports and National Olympic Committee,” Shamsaei told Varzesh3 of his approach to team selection.
The Iranian futsal great recently named a provisional roster for the upcoming events, including the AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers in Kuantan, Malaysia.
A winner of a record 13 Asian titles, Iran will begin its qualification campaign against Bangladesh in Group G next Sunday, before taking on the United Arab Emirates two days later at Kuantan’s Stadium Tertutup Sukpa.
Iran will face Malaysia on the final day of the group fixtures on September 24, with the top team of the group table progressing to next January’s finals in Indonesia, while the second team will hope to qualify as one the best seven runner-up finishers across the eight qualification groups.
There were some surprise absentees in the Iranian list, with Asian Player of the Year Saeid Ahamdabbasi and Salar Aqapour omitted.
Saeid is a valuable asset for Iranian futsal. However, he has struggled with consistency after his latest surgery, and I feel he needs time to peak his best form. He has also missed three games in the current Iranian league season. The players’ health must be our top priority,” Shamsaei said of his decision not to name his prolific player in the squad.
“That said, we still have very high expectations of him. If Saeid can prove his form and performance in the coming period, the national team will be open to a player of his caliber. In my opinion, he needs more rest to fully recover, then focus on increasing his fitness. If he can regain the quality that meets our expectations, we will certainly call upon him,” added the Iranian.
“Aqapour, meanwhile, could have pushed through with an injection, but why would we risk him and potentially aggravate his injury all at once? We’ve given Salar rest so he can play the rest of the season with greater fitness and, more importantly, be available for the upcoming tournaments. This is on the condition that he also delivers his best possible performances in the league.”