AFC Futsal Asian Cup:
Past glory offers no guarantees as Iran eyes 14th continental crown
By Amirhadi Arsalanpour
Staff writer
Defending champion Iran is set to face a sterner test at the upcoming AFC Futsal Asian Cup, which kicks off on January 27 in Indonesia.
Team Melli will begin its quest for a record-extending 14th continental title against Malaysia in its Group D opener on the second day of the competition in Jakarta.
Iran has long been the dominant force at Asia’s flagship futsal event, having suffered just four defeats in 105 matches across the previous 17 editions. Two of those losses came in finals against Japan — the only nation other than Iran to have lifted the Asian crown.
Fresh from a gold-medal campaign at the Islamic Solidarity Games in November — capped by a commanding 5-0 victory over Morocco in the final — Iran once again enters the tournament as the outright favorite to lift the trophy at the Indonesia Arena on February 7.
However, with the rapid development of futsal across the continent in recent years, Vahid Shamsaei’s side will need to navigate a series of tricky challenges against emerging Asian powers.
Afghanistan will be making only its second appearance at the tournament, but arrives with growing confidence after an impressive debut in 2024. Under Iranian coach Majid Mortezaei, Afghanistan finished fifth to secure a historic first-ever World Cup berth in Uzbekistan later that year.
Mortezaei’s men went on to enjoy a respectable World Cup campaign, opening with a comfortable win over Angola before narrow defeats to eventual semifinalists Argentina and Ukraine. They advanced to the round of 16, where they were edged out 3-1 by Paraguay after extra time.
Iran and Afghanistan will meet at a major tournament for the third time in less than two years when they clash in Group D on February 1. Iran claimed a 3-1 win when the sides met at last year’s Asian Cup, but were held to a 2-2 draw at the Islamic Solidarity Games.
Also in Group D is Saudi Arabia, which exited at the group stage in the previous edition but showed signs of progress at the ISG on home soil. The Saudis pushed eventual champions Morocco in the semifinals before falling 6-3 after extra time.
Tajikistan, meanwhile, will be making its 12th Asian Cup appearance. The Central Asian side has reached the quarterfinals twice and recorded its best-ever finish last year with a fourth-place result.
Uzbekistan, which defeated Tajikistan in the third-place playoff, will return as a four-time runner-up. The side was narrowly beaten by Iran on penalties in the 2024 semifinals and again pushed Shamsaei’s men hard at the ISG, eventually losing 4-2, before securing the bronze medal with a shootout victory over Saudi Arabia.
Three-time finalist Thailand will also be among the teams to watch in Jakarta. Although beaten 4-1 by Iran in the most recent final, Thailand remains the only team other than Japan to have defeated Iran in Asian Cup history, thanks to a dramatic 5-4 semifinal victory at the 2012 edition in Dubai.
“From past experience, we know that every Asian team raises its game to the maximum when facing Iran, bringing far greater energy onto the court. That’s why we can’t afford to be fooled by previous results,” Shamsaei told the official website of the Iranian Football Federation.
“It’s not a case of simply boarding a plane, picking up the trophy, and coming back. It will take a great deal of effort and hard work.
“We are aiming for the ultimate prize, but for now our focus is firmly on the group stage, and then we will turn our attention to the later rounds in due course,” the Iranian futsal great added.