No Iranian player ‘guaranteed place’ at Futsal Asian Cup, Shamsaei insists
No Iranian player “will be guaranteed a place” at next month’s AFC Futsal Asian Cup in Indonesia, head coach Vahid Shamsaei has insisted.
The record 13-time champion will begin its title defense in Group D against Malaysia on January 26, before facing Saudi Arabia two days later in Jakarta.
The final round of group fixtures will see Shamsaei’s men take on Afghanistan on February 1 – a rematch of their 2-2 draw at the Islamic Solidarity Games last month in Riyadh.
The top two teams in the group will advance to the quarterfinals.
“From day one, I made it clear that a place on the national team is not guaranteed. No player, even one with the highest national honors, should feel their spot is secure,” the Iranian futsal great told the official website of the country’s Football Federation.
“We will continue this policy to ensure that only the most diligent and ambitious players are named in the squad, so the national team can enter the Asian Cup in peak form and defend the prestige of Iranian futsal,” added the three-time Asian Player of the Year, who lifted the Asian Cup trophy eight times as a player.
“My technical staff and I have been closely monitoring the Iranian league week in, week out, with the aim of ensuring a strong presence at the Asian Cup,” Shamsaei said, adding, “A provisional 25-man list will be submitted to the AFC soon. We have assessed all players worthy of wearing the national team jersey. Close communication with club coaches has played a significant role, providing important technical analysis.”
Shamsaei said the team’s first training camp ahead of the Asian Cup, featuring 20 players, will get underway soon, though the final squad will be trimmed to 14 for the tournament.
“There is a possibility of one or two surprise inclusions in the new list — players who will be given a chance to showcase their qualities,” he said.
Iran will enter the Asian Cup fresh off an impressive title-winning campaign at the Islamic Solidarity Games, where Shamsaei’s team defeated Morocco 5-0 in the final, making amends for last year’s quarterfinal setback against the African powerhouse at the Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.
“Unlike previous major events in recent years, where the national team entered tournaments with injuries to key players, all players were available in Riyadh. This was a major factor in winning the gold medal and provided an excellent opportunity to fully evaluate performances, allowing us to select the final list with greater insight.”