Here are some of the articles posted on the AFC web site: reports and commentary from the
7th AFC Championship in Vietnam, since the most recent (top of the page) to the oldest (bottom) one.
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AFCDefending champions Iran coast to next round 26 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Iran, who are hunting for their seventh consecutive Asian title, advanced to the second round of the AFC Futsal Championship from Group C with a 10-3 defeat of Lebanon.
Kuwait thrashed Bhutan 13-1 in the other group match and eased into a round two berth as the last second-best finisher from the groups. Earlier, China had entered the next round of eight teams from Group A as best runners-up.
The changed tournament format means the top six group finishers and the two best runners-up are divided further into two groups and play against each other instead of the usual knockout format. The top four teams will then advance to the semi-finals.
Iran are in the Group G alongwith Thailand, Japan and China while Group H has Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kuwait and Tajikistan.
Vahid Shamsaee, who was subdued in Wednesday’s slim 1-0 win over Kuwait, found his groove at the Phu Tho Stadium and slammed in four goals for Iran. Raise Maged added three with one each coming from Mohammadi Hashemzadeh, Mohamed Reza Heidarian and Javad Maheri.
Lebanon reduced the deficit through Hassan Hamoud, Hayssam Atwi and Khaled Takaji.
“After this match I think it will get more difficult for us,” predicted Iran coach Jurandir Duta. “We will have to encounter many of the good teams from Asia.”
“It is obvious that this is a very hard group. About this match, I think that all the players performed very well.”
The win gave the Iranians - who have still not lost or drawn a single match in their six tournament appearances so far - nine points from three games, three points clear of Kuwait, who turned in a robust performance against Bhutan.
Ahmad Al Asfour fired a hat-trick while Nawaf Al Otaibi, Fawzi Al Mass, Ahmad Humoud and Hamad Al Othman added two each. A goal each was contributed by Ali Al Mutairi and Mohammed Al Naqi. The lone goalscorer for Bhutan was Kinlay Dorji.
“I am not satisfied with the players’ performance,” said Kuwait coach Hossein Shams. “We wasted so many chances.”
Revised fixtures list announced: AFC Futsal Championship26 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: A change in the schedule of matches for May 26, 2005, in the ongoing AFC Futsal Championship was announced by the AFC Futsal Committee on Wednesday.
According to the revised fixtures list, different matches of the same group will kick off at the same time on May 26.
In Group A, Turmenistan will take on China at 1500hrs at the Phu Tho Stadium while the Thailand-Maldives match will be played at the Army Zone Stadium at the same time.
The Group B fixture between the Philippines and Palestine is scheduled to be held at the Phu Tho Stadium at 1645hrs while the Army Zone Stadium will host another group B clash between Uzbekistan and Macau at the same time.
Kuwait will face Bhutan in their last Group C game at the Army Zone Stadium at 1830hrs and simultaneously the other teams in the group - Iran and Lebanon – will lock horns at the Phu Tho Stadium.
The Group D match between Qatar and Chinese Taipei will be played at the Army Zone Stadium at 2015hrs and the Korea Republic will go up against Tajikistan at the same time at the Phu Tho Stadium.
Tajikistan shock Korea Republic 8-626 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Korea Republic, strong favourites for reaching the second round of the AFC Futsal Championship, were stunned by Tajikistan 8-6, who instead advanced deeper into the tournament from Group D on Thursday.
In the other group match, Chinese Taipei defeated newcomers Qatar 10-2.
Korea Republic were ahead 4-1 in the first half at the Phu Tho Stadium but their rivals came back strongly and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. This was the Tajiks’ second comeback after being down and out in a match. They were trailing 0-3 against Qatar on Wednesday but surged back to win 7-3.
Rustam Khojaev’s hat-trick in the second period helped the Tajiks close the gap on the Koreans and so did a brace from Obidjon Ismoilov. Also on target were Khurshed Mahmudov, Dafer Aknazarov and Eradzh Nashikov who scored a goal each.
Korea were reduced to four men in the 32nd minute when Sin Han Kuk was sent off but Lee Sang Keun unleashed two goals two minutes from time to make it 6-8.
The momentum, however, was now with the Tajiks who made the extra man count and kept things quiet till the end.
“In the second half our players lost their concentration and energy,” lamented Korean coach Jeong Jin Hyuk. “We are so disappointed.”
Tajikistan ended their group campaign with nine points while Korea were left stranded on three points. Chinese Taipei were second with six while Qatar failed to get any points on board.
Thailand, China advance with huge victories26 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: ASEAN futsal champions Thailand ripped apart Maldives 25-0 and progressed to the next round of the AFC Futsal Championship from Group A on Thursday.
China were the second team from the same group to assure themselves of a berth in the second round after defeating Turkmenistan 15-1.
The Thais inflicted massive punishment on the Maldivians with a burst of goals from Prasart Innui (five goals), Joe Nuaengkord (four), Pattaya Piemkum, Lertchai Issarsuwipakorn, Anocha Manjaren, Narogsak Khongkiew (hat-tricks all), Weersak Arunpulsap, Jadel Pundoem, Semphin Khumthinklew and Anuwat Pathan (one goal each).
“I think this year all the teams are in with a good chance,” said Adisak Benjasiriwan, the Thai team manager. “In comparison to previous tournaments in Macau, we have improved a lot and I am satisfied.
China, who were held to a shock 1-1 draw by Thailand in their last match, attacked from the start and reaped rich dividends. Yang Du and Xiong Sui hit three goals each, braces were supplied by Li Kou Chang and Wang Xiao Yu, while Li Di Ming, Wu Zhuo Xi, Zhang Xi, Li Jian Lei and Yang Zhi Kai scored a goal each.
Taji Abdullayev chalked up the only consolation goal for the losers.
“The match was good and we hope to be one of the top eight teams in futsal this year,” said Xu Jian, coach of China.
Thailand ended on top of the group with seven points, pushing China, who also have the same number of points, to second on better goal difference.
Uzbekistan maintain perfect record with win over Macau26 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Uzbekistan had an easy passage into the second round of the AFC Futsal Championship with a 13-1 win over Macau in Group B on Thursday at the Army Zone Stadium.
In another group match, Palestine defeated the Philippines 14-4 at the Phu Tho Stadium but their qualification for the second round hinges on the outcome of other group matches elsewhere.
Uzbekistan maintained their perfect win record with a healthy display and bulldozed the weak opposition. Three hat-tricks flowed from Anvar Mamedov, Farruh Zaklov and Abdulla Burlev while Furkat Kudratov unleashed a brace to bury Macau. Also among the goals were Shavkatbek Mulvidinov and Nikolay Odushev. Leong Lap San pulled one back for Macau four minutes from time.
Uzbek coach Oleg Ivanov was delighted with the result. “This was a successful game for us as our intention was to win by a big margin.”
“Macau are not a strong team but we came here to show our team spirit. The next round will be tough but we are ready.”
In the other match, the Palestinians surged forward, courtesy four goals each from Hassan Huttut and Nader Al Hajjar while Hazen Al Hajjar put in a brace. Mustafa Yasin, Ahmed Abdalhadi, Hashem Aishurfa, Mohamed Hassnain also got on the crowded scoresheet with a goal each.
For the Philippines, Alexander Borromeo had two goals, while Anton Del Rosario and Jose Lozeno scored one each.
Ivanov’s boys ended their group campaign with nine points, three clear of Palestine
Chinese Taipei shock Korea Republic25 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Chinese Taipei upset the strong Korea Republic team 2-1 in Group D of the AFC Futsal Championship on Wednesday while Tajikistan overcame a determined challenge from newcomers Qatar to notch up their second win 7-3.
The Chinese Taipei-Korea match was hotly contested and the first half ended goalless. The opener came from Chinese Taipei’s Ho Kou-chen which was neutralised by Cho Jae Suk. The winner was hit by Chang Fu-hsiang eight minutes from time.
In the other match, Tajikistan had to come back from two goals down after Qatar struck a rich vein of form and rhythm and took a 3-1 lead in the first period.
The Qataris were put ahead by Aziz Al Kuwari, and Rashid Al Dosari and Khalid Al Naimimade made it 3-0. Tajikistan then mounted a spirited fightback through Rustam Khojaev and Khurshed Mahmudov, who scored three goals each, while Sherzod Jumaev added one.
Tajikistan lead the group with six points while Korea Republic and Chinese Taipei have three points each. Qatar are yet to open their score.
Iran scrape to 1-0 win over Kuwait25 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Reigning Asian futsal champions Iran scraped to a 1-0 win against Kuwait in Group C of the AFC Futsal Championship while Lebanon notched up their first win of the tournament on Wednesday by defeating Bhutan 14-2.
This is Iran’s lowest ever victory margin since they started playing in this tournament in 1999. The only goal was slammed home by Mohammadi Hashemzadeh five minutes from the break.
Kuwait adopted negative tactics and tied down the six-time champions by not allowing them any space with some tight marking. Iran, coached by Jurandir Duta, failed to break the strong defensive wall protecting the Kuwaiti goal despite throwing all their men forward at times.
“We didn’t play too badly but Kuwait didn’t allow us any space,” said Duta.
Kuwaiti coach Hossein Shams was not too happy with the result. “I think a draw is better than losing but we depended completely on our defence.”
Lebanon’s win was scripted by five goals from Hayssam Atwi and a hat-trick from Khaled Takaji.
Also figuring in the goalfest were Mahmoud Itani (two), Ibrahim Hammoud, Serge Said, Abbas Fadlallah and Ahmed Daher. Bhutan pulled two back through Wangchuk and Kinlay Dorji, who found the net just a minute from time.
“In this match, we had to play well to get over the disappointment of the earlier match,” said Lebanon coach Dory Zackour, whose boys lost to Kuwait in the opener 2-3. “I am satisfied with this result.”
Bhutan are playing in this tournament for the first time. “Our players performed reasonably well with just two months of preparation,” said coach Somtit Wan Wong. “I am sure they will improve further.”
Iran lead the group with six points, Kuwait are second with three points while Lebanon also have three but are third on goal difference.
Japan beat Indonesia, advance to next round25 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Japan coasted to a 7-0 victory over Indonesia and advanced to the next round of the AFC Futsal Championship on Wednesday from Group E while Guam’s cup of misery overflowed after they were blanked out 0-10 by ASEAN futsal runners-up Malaysia in another match.
A hat-trick from Takahashi Kensuke followed by a Kogure Kenichiro brace put the three-time finalists firmly on the victory path. Ito Masanori and Higa Rikarudo added one goal each to complete the rout.
Japan had earlier defeated Guam 18-0 and thrashed Malaysia 7-0. Today’s win gave Japan nine points while Indonesia have six points and Malaysia are three behind.
Malaysia’s win was never in doubt though they had to wait till the 14th minute to start the scoring. Two quick goals in the same minute from Sathiyaseelan Sathiyamoorthi and Mohamed Feroz Bin Ab Karnim helped Malaysia retire for the break two goals up.
After the restart, the Malaysians, who were thrashed by Japan a day earlier, caught fire with goals from Mohammad Faizul Bin Abdul Ghaffar, Jamhuri Bin Zainuddin (a brace), Mohamed Ruzzaley Bin Abdul Aziz. Sathiyamoorthi netted his brace in the 26th minute and then Ng Boon Leong exploded with three goals in the space of two minutes to widen the victory margin.
Malaysia coach Silvio Sergio was happy with the way things turned out for his team. “I am happy with the way we played today. We fully controlled the game and got a positive result.”
Guam’s coach James Okuhama said his players had improved. “We were focused at first and I think the score could have been 0–0 or 0-1 after the first half, but then, we encountered some physical problems. But our players have improved and we are more confident.”
Kyrgyzstan wallop Hong Kong as Iraq beat Vietnam25 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Iraq handed hosts Vietnam their second defeat, 8-1, in three days in the AFC Futsal Championship’s Group F matches while Kyrgyzstan proved too strong for Hong Kong and won 5-0, booking their place in the second phase of the competition.
The Iraqi goals flowed fast and thick from Zaid Naji (hat-trick), Abdul Karim Radi and Wameeth Kamel (two goals each), and Zaman Safi (one). The only marksman on target for the losers was Nguyen Tuan Thanh.
Vietnam coach Tran Van Long was left apologising after the team’s poor show. “I would like to apologise to the fans,” said Van Long. “All our players are exhausted and some of our more skilful players have still not recovered from their injuries.”
“Vietnam are a good team but they are inexperienced,” said Iraqi coach Emad Zubeir, putting his rivals’ defeat in proper perspective. “But I believe they have a good future.”
Nujran Djetybaev’s three goals, just two minutes apart towards the death, powered Kyrgyzstan to their convincing win in the other match. Andrey Pestryakov and Emil Kenjisariev were the other scorers for the Central Asian team.
The win put Kyrgyzstan on top with nine points while Iraq are second with six.
Kyrgyzstan edge past Iraq as HK hold Vietnam24 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Hosts Vietnam drew 1-1 with Hong Kong in Group F of the AFC Futsal Championship on Tuesday while Kyrgyzstan had to produce two second half goals to beat Iraq 2-0.
Vietnam lost to Kyrgyzstan 1-4 on Monday and the draw represents an upward swing for Nguyen Van Long’s boys who are playing in this tournament for the first time.
Le Quoc Khong put the hosts ahead eight minutes into the match before Lo Kwan Yee restored parity on the stroke of half-time. Then both teams missed several chances to double the advantage and the stalemate persisted till the final whistle.
The Vietnamese coach was understandably happy with his team’s performance. “Our players are maturing fast with each match, especially Hong Son and Tien Thanh,” said Van Long. “We were better than Hong Kong but we didn’t turn the chances we had into goals.”
“We will try our best in the coming matches,” added the coach. “The result should have been 3-3 not 1-1,” felt Hong Kong coach Tsang Wai Chung. “Both teams were nervous.”
Meanwhile, Merat Duvanaev and Emil Kenjisariev helped Kyrgyzstan sweep the three points on offer against Iraq in the second match. Both the goals came in the second half of the toughly contested match.
Kyrgyzstan now lead the standings with six points while Iraq are second with three points.
Japan show Malaysia who’s the boss as Indonesia rout Guam24 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Three-time finalists Japan overwhelmed ASEAN futsal runners-up Malaysia 7-0 and notched up their second consecutive win in Group E of the AFC Futsal Championship while the nightmare continued for lowly Guam who were thrashed 2-15 by Indonesia.
Both the matches were played at the Phu Tho Stadium.
Japan were tied down till the eighth minute by the Malaysians who played to a plan when Kogure Kenichiro broke the cordon and slammed in the first goal.
Fujii Kenta then prised open the Malaysian defence with a brace and soon the Japanese, who have lost the last three finals to Iran, found their rhythm and made it look so easy. Kenichiro followed up with two more and combined with goals from Kanayama Yuki and Inaba Kotaro completed the comprehensive win.
“At the beginning we had some problems with our defence,” said Japan coach Sapo. “But we quickly corrected that and kept improving all the time.”
“That is why we didn’t give our rivals any chance at all. Our aim is to advance deeper in this competition.”
Malaysian coach Silvio Maghado said Japan were too strong. “It was not easy, they are a very strong team and my boys came under pressure.”
In the other group encounter, a hat-trick from Jaelani Ladjanabi and braces from Viernes Ricardo Polnaya, Sayan Karmadi, Andri Irawan and Venard Victor helped Indonesia record their second straight win in the tournament. Earlier they had beaten Malaysia in the first match but the margin was not so impressive.
Also contributing towards the rout were Israqul Issa, Handra Kurniawan, Socrates Matulessy and Wahyu Thiyarto, who found the net once.
The first half ended 7-0 against Guam, who lost their first match 0-18 to Japan on Monday. James Bush and Nicholas Pioppi pulled two back for Guam after the restart.
“Even though we won 15-2, we had a very bad game,” said Indonesian coach Justin Lhaksana. “We could have played much better.”
“We started preparing for this event only in March and I hope there will be a professional league in Indonesia by September 2005,” added Lhaksana.
Guam coach James Okuhama said his players played better in their first match against Japan. “We lacked the necessary concentration, which led to many goals in the dying minutes of the game.”
Both Japan and Indonesia have six points in this group and clash against each other on Wednesday.
China dig deep to draw 1-1 with Thailand24 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: ASEAN futsal champions Thailand put China in their place with a 1-1 draw in Group A of the AFC Futsal Championship on Tuesday.
In another group match, Turkmenistan blew away Maldives 5-0 at the Army Zone Stadium.
There was little to choose between Thailand and China in the clash of titans. Panuwat Janta put the Thais ahead in the sixth minute but China turned on the screws from then on with some tight marking.
China, who demolished Maldives 21-0 in their first match, changed tack after the restart and began a busy search for the equaliser. They eventually succeeded in the death when Yan Fei brushed aside two markers and fired home past the Thai goalkeeper with just two minutes left on the clock.
Thailand had got off their campaign on Monday to a stylish start with a massive 23-2 win over Turkmenistan.
Thailand coach Glaucio Castro predicted wins for his team in the coming matches. “China is a strong team and though we drew this match I am confident we will win in the coming days.”
“We had 10 weeks to prepare for this tournament and our target is to win the Asian title.”
“We are a strong team though many of our players couldn’t play in this match because of injuries,” said China coach Xu Jian..
In the other match, Turkmenistan did not allow Maldives to get their bearings but had to wait till the 10th minute to score the first goal through Taji Abdullaev. Then on, the Turkmen co-ordinated well and Taji scored two more goals while Yilham Ilmuradov added a brace.
The victory gave Turkmenistan coach Hamid Abdulaev something to cheer about. “We could have scored more goals but what is important is that my players followed a strategy,” said Hamid. “We play against China next, a very strong team, and our plan is to defend.”
Thailand and China have four points each while Turkmenistan are a point behind in the standings.
Uzbekistan hammer Palestine 9-124 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Uzbekistan won their second consecutive match in Group B with a 9-1 hammering of Palestine on Tuesday even as Leong Lap San’s fierce drive from distance snatched a late 2-2 draw for Macau against the Philippines in the AFC Futsal Championship.
Uzbekistan started strongly and pinned back the Palestinians with excellent tactical play. It was quickly clear to the Palestinians that their rivals were a far better opposition than Macau, who they thrashed 9-2 in their opening match on Monday.
Bahodir Ahmedov started the scoring in the seventh minute and soon the other Uzbeks joined in. Nikolay Odushev and Saidolimhan Sharafuldinov were the top scorers with a brace each. Also on target were Ilham Yusupdjenov, Furket Kudratov, Shavketbeg Muhitdinov and Aleksandr Korolev.
Rafal Rabee scored the only consolation goal for the Palestinians.
In the first group match, Ho Wai Tong managed to put Macau ahead only after 19 minutes following a cautious start by both teams. But five minutes into the restart, Alexander Borromeo hauled the Philippines level and Anton Edward Delrosario doubled the advantage on the half hour mark.
A minute later the score was tied when Leong Lap San took advantage of his rivals’ lax defence and cannoned in a fierce drive through a gaping hole. Then Macau kept things under control to ensure the draw.
The draw was welcomed by the Philippines coach Farivar Arabzadeh. “This was a great game and the draw proved the strength of both teams. We will have to improve our offensive and defensive skills for the coming matches.”
Macau coach Antonio C.T. Machado was upset by some of the refereeing decisions which went against his team. “I am satisfied but I think when we infringed we were cautioned but when our rivals did the same nothing happened.”
“For the next match our strategy will be to defend because Uzbekistan are a strong team.”
Uzbekistan currently lead the group with six points from two wins, ahead of Palestine who have three points.
Korea tame Qatar as Tajikistan edge past Chinese Taipei23 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Lee Kyung Min helped the Korea Republic overcome stiff resistance from debutants Qatar 7-3 in Group D of the AFC Futsal Championship while Tajikistan beat Chinese Taipei 4-2 in the second group encounter on Monday.
Choi Yong Sun put the Koreans ahead seconds after kick-off and six minutes later Lee Kyung lashed home the first of his three goals. The first half ended 5-1 in favour of Korea but not before Qatar’s Khalid Gharib Al Naimi had scored his country’s first ever goal in the championship.
The Korean tally swelled after Lim Dong Jun, Lee Sang Keun and Lee Moo Hyum found gaping holes in their rivals’ defence and exploited it mercilessly. The second half, however, saw the Qataris regroup and pull two goals back, both by Rashid Al Dosari.
“We are playing in this event for the first time and my boys scored three goals against a strong team like Korea,” said Qatar coach Faraj Al Nubi. “We believe Qatar will be one of the two teams at the top of the group.”
Korean coach Jeong Jin Hyuk said his team needed more experience. “We are young and inexperienced and need more international exposure.”
Iran send warning with Bhutan demolition23 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Iranian hitman Vahid Shamsaee pumped in 13 goals as the six-time Asian champions got off their title-defence in the AFC Futsal Championship to a rollicking start with a 27-2 win over minnows Bhutan on Monday.
The sheer wizardry of Shamsaee left the Bhutanese dazed but they managed to pull two consolation goals back.
Team Melli wasted no time in starting the rout and Maged Raise bulged the net in the very first minute. After this Bhutanese goalkeeper Jigme Singye had no respite from picking the ball out of his net.
If Shamsaee was in devastating form, then Hossein Soltani was just average, finding the net four times.
The others who made merry with a brace were Mohammadi Hazhemzadeh, Maged Raise and Javad Maheri. Majid Tikdari, Mohsen Zarfi, Morteza Azimaei and Mohamed Reza Heidarian also contributed towards widening the victory margin. For the losers, Kinlay Dorji and Nawang Dendup tried to reduce the deficit.
Iran coach Jurandir Dutra emphasised that his main purpose was to keep the title under lock-and-key. “We want to retain the crown we have been winning for the last six years,” said Dutra. “We are also revamping our team.”
The coach paid rich tributes to Shamsaee. “Vahid is the greatest futsal player in the world and he has certain skills which others don’t have. This makes him very special.”
Bhutan coach Somjit Wanwong tried to draw some positives from the defeat. “The greatest thing is they scored two goals against Iran,” said Wanwong. “We began playing just two months back.”
Kuwait won the battle of West Asian countries 3-2 against Lebanon in the other group match which was a much sober affair compared to the fireworks in the earlier tussle.
Lebanon were leading 2-1 in the first half but allowed Kuwait into the match after the restart. Hayssam Atwi put Lebanon ahead in the first minute and Mahmoud Ilani made it 2-0 in the eighth minute. Kuwaiti Ahmad Al Asfour reduced the deficit five minutes from the break and Raed Khalf and Fawzi Al Mass scored in quick succession to wrap up the match 15 minutes from time.
Thailand, China register massive wins in AFC Futsal Championship23 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: ASEAN futsal champions Thailand crushed newcomers Turkmenistan 23-2 in Group A even as China flexed their muscles with a 21-0 demolition of Maldives in another group match on Monday in the AFC Futsal Championship.
The Thais, fresh from their ASEAN futsal heroics earlier this month, brooked no resistance in the match played at a fast clip. Panuwat Janta was on target six times while teammate Joe Nueangkord scored four times.
Lertchai Issarasuwipakorn and Anocha Manjaren grabbed hat-tricks, with a brace each coming from Pattaya Piemkum and Prasaert Innui. The other goalscorers were Weerasak Arunpulsap, Semphin Khumthinkaew and Narogsak Khongtew (one each).
Turkmenistan’s Ilmuradov Ylham and Abdullayev Taji managed to put two on the board for the losers.
“We have a very good team and all the players co-ordinated well,” said Thailand’s coach Glaucio DeOliveira Castro. “We are satisfied with the result but not the individual performance.”
Turkmenistan’s coach Eladar Ramazanov said his boys were learning the ropes fast. “This is the first time we are playing in this event,” said Ramazanov. “Although we did not win we are quite satisfied with our performance.
In the next match, China bulldozed their hapless rivals with five goals apiece from Zhang Jiong and Wu Zhou Xi. Making the Chinese domination complete were Yan Fei and Zhang Xi, who scored hat-tricks. Also among the goals were Li Jian (two), Wang Xiao Yu, Li Di Ming and Yang Du.
But the victory did little to cheer up China coach Xu Jian. “I am not completely satisfied with the performance of the team,” said Xu.
“Our team is not very strong and the level of different players is not equal. This match might look easy but it will be really difficult for us to compete in the next round against stronger teams,” added the coach.
Uzbekistan, Palestine send rivals packing23 May 2005HO CHI MINH CITY: Uzbekistan routed the Philippines 7-1 in Group B of the AFC Futsal Championship here on Monday while Palestine thrashed Macau 9-2 in another group match.
The Uzbeks went into the breather 2-0 up and after the restart exploited their rivals’ weak defence to rack up five more goals. Ilhom Yasupjadjanov’s brace combined with goals from Nikolay Odushev, Bahodir Ahmedov, Farruh Zakirov, Buriev Abdulla and Saidolimhon Sharafutdinov gave no chance to their rivals to counter-attack.
The only goal for the losers was scored by Peyman Nejadsafavi.
After the match, Uzbek coach Ivanov Oleg was of the opinion that his boys could improve further. “I am not really satisfied with the game today,” said Oleg. “I think there is scope for improvement.”
“We have played in this event thrice and this year our goal is to qualify for the second round,” said the Philippines coach Farivar Arabzadeh. “But most of my players are inexperienced and they have had little match practice.”
Palestinian duo Hashem Al Shurfa and Hazen Al Hajjar bagged hat-tricks in the easy win over Macau. Hassan Huthut, Mohamed Hasnain and Rafat Rabee also got on the scoresheet for the winners while Ho Wai Tong and Leong Chongin scored for Chinese Taipei.
