Iranian coach Mortezaei parts ways with Afghanistan futsal team
Iranian coach Majid Mortezaei has officially ended his tenure as head coach of Afghanistan’s men’s national futsal team, the Afghanistan Football Federation announced.
The sport’s national governing body confirmed that negotiations over a contract extension failed to yield a final agreement, bringing the curtain down on a history-making era for Afghan futsal.
The Iranian led Afghanistan to its AFC Futsal Asian Cup debut in 2024, where his team suffered a quarterfinal setback against Tajikistan, but bounced back to beat Iraq and Kyrgyzstan in the playoffs to secure a maiden spot at the Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan later that year.
Afghanistan delivered impressive performances in the global showpiece, beating Angola 6-4 before suffering defeats against Argentina (2-1) and Ukraine (4-1) – the two eventual semifinalists – to advance to the knockout stage. Their campaign, however, finished with a 3-1 setback in extra time against Paraguay in the round of 16.
Upon returning to the Asian Cup, Afghanistan again made it to the knockout stage in January – thanks to a runner-up finish behind Iran in the group – but was undone 6-0 by four-time champion Japan in the last eight.
Mortezaei was also in charge when Afghanistan held Asian powerhouse Iran to a 2-2 draw at the Islamic Solidarity Games last year, though his team ultimately missed out on a semifinal spot after finishing behind African champion Morocco and Iran in the group table.
“People in Afghanistan now recognize futsal as their number one sport, which is a source of pride for me,” Mortezaei told ISNA, adding: “However, given the circumstances, repeating our previous achievements was not possible.”
“When I took over, Afghanistan was ranked 109th in the world and 24th in Asia. Thank God, at the time of handing over the team, their world ranking was 21st and they were fifth in Asia. Finishing as runners-up in the CAFA championship, qualifying for the World Cup, and securing fifth place in the last Asian Cup were among the achievements we accomplished in Afghanistan,” added the Iranian, who was shortlisted for Best Men’s National Team Coach in the World at the Futsalplanet Awards 2023, but eventually lost out to Morocco’s Hicham Dguig.
Mortezaei explained that Afghanistan’s improved status brought higher expectations, but fundamental changes to facilities, scouting, and player development were not feasible.
“I didn’t want to harm my reputation among the Afghan people, which is why, in an amicable atmosphere, we decided to part ways after four years.”
When asked about his future plans, Mortezaei said: “I have had talks with an Iranian top-flight side and have also been approached by two national teams, though the outcomes remain uncertain.
“We have submitted a proposal to a Premier League team and are awaiting their response. My priority would be to work with national teams,” he said. “It matters to me that I work with teams that have room for improvement – teams with untapped talent like Afghanistan, where good coaching and facilities can make a real difference.”