Iran names roster for futsal friendlies in Russia
Iran men’s futsal head coach Vahid Shamsaei named a 14-man squad for the two friendly games against Russia.
Shamsaei’s men will play away to the European side on October 14 before the two teams square off in a rematch two days later.
Star players Moslem Oladqobad and Salar Aqapour, nominated for the Asian Futsal Player of the Year award, will miss the double header due to involvement in the AFC Awards in Riyadh on Oct. 16.
Prolific forward Saeid Ahamad-Abbasi, who was ruled out September’s Asian Cup qualifiers with injury, has been named in the squad, while Baqer Mohammadi, the best Asian goalkeeper in 2024, received a first international callout since last year’s Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.
Behrouz Azimi, who missed Mes Sungun’s previous two games in the Iranian top-flight for disciplinary reasons, has also been trusted with a place in the squad.
Iran dominated the Asian Cup qualification group in the United Arab Emirates, breezing past Bangladesh (12-0), the host (10-0), and Malaysia (4-0) to progress to next January’s finals in Indonesia, where Shamsaei’s team will be chasing a record-extending 14th title.
The following is Iran’s full squad for the upcoming friendlies:
Goalkeepers: Baqer Mohammadi, Saeid Mo’meni
Defenders: Mohammadhossein Derakhshani, Amirhossein Gholami, Hossein Sabzi
Left alas: Mohammadhossein Bazyar, Ali Akrami, Ali Khalilvand
Right alas: Masoud Yousef, Amirhossein Dehqani, Sajjad Yousefkhah
Pivots: Hossien Tayyebi, Saeid Ahmadabbasi, Behrouz Azimi.