Iran, Poland share spoils in futsal friendly ahead of Women’s World Cup
Iran and Poland, two of the teams set to compete at the upcoming FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, played to a 1–1 draw in a friendly ahead of the inaugural tournament in the Philippines.
Maral Torkaman, the top scorer at May’s Asian Cup with six goals, was on target for Shahrzad Mozaffar’s side at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig on Sunday.
“Poland finished in the top four in the European qualifiers and possess a cohesive, physically robust, and well-organized squad, having begun their World Cup preparations months ago. They had played Canada in a warm-up match before today’s game and were already in a competitive rhythm,” Mozaffar said of the European opponent.
“Their high technical and physical quality provided us with exactly the kind of test we needed before our World Cup opener, and I’m glad that we made the most of every second of the game,” added the Iranian coach, who replaced Forouzan Soleimani after a mediocre Asian Cup campaign in which the two-time champion settled for a third-place finish.
“The players were a bit fatigued, which was normal given the jet lag and the intense training sessions they’ve had in recent months. They still fought with all their might and worked hard to execute the tactics precisely. This game and Monday’s match against New Zealand are a crucial part of our preparation for the World Cup,” said Mozaffar, who gave game time to every member of the squad.
Iran is drawn in Group D of the World Cup alongside Brazil, Italy, and Panama.
The Iranian girls will get their campaign underway against eight-time Copa America champion Brazil – the top team in the latest FIFA World Ranking – on Sunday, before taking on Panama three days later.
Mozaffar’s team will hope to be in contention for a top-two finish in the group and a place in the round of 16, when it squares off against world No. 7 Italy on November 29.