Courtesy: Australian Football Association Web Site


NSW Thunder avoid Futsal big guns

Friday, 1 May 2009

National Futsal Champions, NSW Thunder has managed to avoid the big guns for the inaugural edition of the AFC Futsal Club Championship, which will take place at Pirouzi Stadium from July 4 to 12 in Esfahan, Iran.

Thunder was drawn in Group B, missing the likes of Iran’s Foolad Mahan Sepahan and Japan’s Nagoya Oceans who are expected to be the favourites for the inaugural title. They will instead face Thai champions Port Authority, China’s Wuhan Dilang, Lebanon’s Pro Café and Al Sadd from Qatar.

The ten participating teams were divided into two groups of five with the winners and runners-up meeting to decide which club will write their name in Asian Futsal history as the first-ever club champions.

The historic draw was overseen by AFC Futsal Committee member Abbas Torabian and held before a packed auditorium at the Aseman Hotel, which included Abarghooii Nejad, the President of the Esfahan Football Federation, Mr. Mossadeghian, Vice President of the Physical Education Board and Mr. Shiran, from Esfahan Province’s Physical Education Board.

NSW Thunder earned their right to play at the Championship after defeating ACT Cobras in the final of the FFA National Championships in Canberra earlier this year.

The training squad of about 20 players is being looked at for the final 14-man squad, the allowed number of players permitted by each side for the tournament.

Futsalplanet note: know more on the new AFC competition, click here






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com