Afghanistan secured passage to the AFC Futsal Asian Cup quarter-finals following a comfortable 7-0 win against Malaysia in their Group D tie earlier today in Jakarta.
The result also meant that Iran – who defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 earlier in the day – also advanced to the knockout stage with the two to meet on Sunday to decide the group winners.
Malaysia dominated the early exchanges with efforts from Awalluddin Nawi and Harith Naim forcing Afghanistan custodian Javad Safari to be on his toes.
At the other end, Afghanistan’s Mohammad Moradi weaved past two markers in the third minute but smashed his low shot just wide of Malaysia’s goalmouth.
The Central Asian side then found the opener in an unorthodox way in the seventh minute when a poorly-arranged Malaysia defensive wall allowed Reza Hosseinpoor’s kick-in to hit the post, with Seyed Hossein Mousavi knocking home the rebound.
Afghanistan went up another gear with Farzad Mahmoodi sweeping in Sayed Mojtaba Husseini’s pass in the 12th minute before the latter prodded in from close range seconds later to make it 3-0.
Malaysia simply had no response to Afghanistan’s speed of play with another fast move in the 15th minute resulting in yet another goal, this time Moradi with a sublime curling finish into the top corner.
The half-time break allowed Malaysia the chance to regroup as they defended better but the reprieve was only temporary as Afghanistan’s pace proved too hot to handle.
From a counter attack in the 28th minute, Omid Qanbari surged down the right flank before finding Hosseinpoor, who scooped the ball past the advancing Syawal Sabaruddin for Afghanistan’s fifth.
Safari added another goal in the 33rd minute, saving Khairul Effendy’s shot before pumping the ball down the other end into an unguarded goalmouth before Qanbari scored a similar goal seconds before the full-time buzzer to seal an emphatic Afghanistan win.
Iran survived a stern test to defeat Saudi Arabia 2-0 in their Group D tie.
The defending champions had to withstand heavy pressure from Saudi Arabia throughout the match before two second half goals and Afghanistan’s 7-0 win against Malaysia in the later game, saw them advancing to the quarter-finals.
Saudi Arabia took the game to Iran from the opening whistle with Bagher Mohammadi having to make multiple stops to deny efforts from Eihab Mohamed and Saleh Alqarni.
Despite being put under intense pressure, Iran forced a chance in the seventh minute when Saied Ahmad Abbasi was sent through on goal in a quick breakaway but saw his low shot kept out by Humood Aldahhan’s outstretched leg.
Rotating their players with regular frequency, Saudi Arabia were able to keep their intensity high throughout the first half, forcing Mohammadi to make another good save in the 10th minute after Moath Alasiri had broken through.
As the first half edged towards its end, Iran started to find gaps with Aldahhan having to be at his best to make a double save, first from Behrooz Azimi then getting back on his feet to block out Salar Aghapour’s follow-up header.
Iran did find the net when Azimi fired home from Aghapour’s corner delivery but the goal was ruled out after Video Support review with the half-time buzzer having sounded before the ball went in.
After the break, Mohammadi showed why he’s one of the best in the game, coming out of his goalmouth to block successive efforts from Abdullah Alaqeeli and Alqarni after Nawaf Aroan started the play with a run out of defence.
Saudi Arabia, however, spurned a great opportunity in the 25th minute after an interchange of passes between Alaqeeli and Alasiri took the Iranian keeper out of position but the former scuffed his shot wide with the goalmouth gaping.
Against the run of play, Iran broke the deadlock in the 29th minute after Ahmad Abbasi’s strike had been turned away for a corner kick with Moslem Oladghobad’s delivery nodded in by Amirhossein Gholami.
Saudi Arabia went for broke in their search for the equaliser but their efforts were in vain with Mohammadi securing the win for Iran with a stunning volley in the 35th minute from almost the full length of the court.
Meanwhile, Japan booked their quarter-final ticket with a match to spare after defeating a fighting Tajikistan 3-0 in their Group C tie.
The win took the four-time champions with six points ahead of a mouth-watering clash with Uzbekistan, who are two adrift, on Sunday.
Cheered on by a small but vocal group of fans, Japan started with Takehiro Motoishi and Shunta Uchimura fluffing their efforts before Shoto Yamanaka forced the first save of the match from Firuz Bekmurodov.
Japan keeper Hiroshi Tabuchi then moved upfront to have a crack, forcing his counterpart to use his legs to clear his effort. Bekmurodov had to move fast to deny Ryoto Kai with another fine save, the latter trying again moments later but finding the side netting instead.
Tajikistan were kept on the back foot for the better part, with their first notable effort coming in the 12th minute from Bekmurodov, who saw his rising shot punched away by Tabuchi. Samandar Rizomov made a second attempt four minutes later, letting loose a shot that spun just wide of the right post.
Despite their dominance, the East Asian side’s first goal only came in the 18th minute when Uchimura (3) collected a pass from Motoishi and hammered the ball from distance past a hapless Bekmurodov.
The Central Asian side almost forced the equaliser a minute before the break when Berkmurodov again ventured forward and forced Habuchi into another punching save, with skipper Dilshod Salomov then sending the rebound into the left netting.
Kazuya Shimizu kicked off the second half for Japan by sending his shot wide of the left post while Tajikistan’s Bakhtiyor Soliev, who took advantage of a defensive fumble, saw his close-range attempt denied by Habuchi.
Japan intensified their efforts in search of a second goal, but were foiled by shoddy finishing and Berkmurodov, who proved a stumbling block time and time again.
The keeper, however, came undone in the 35th minute when he came out too far to intercept the ball and instead lost it to Kaito Yamada, who gleefully tucked it into an empty goalmouth before Yamanaka wrapped up the match in the dying seconds with their third to give Kensuke Takahashi’s men a hard-fought win.
Uzbekistan roared their way back from two goals down to defeat Australia 4-2 in Group C. The victory moved the four-time runners-up to four points and within touching distance of the knockout stage, with Japan their opponents in Sunday’s group finale.
Keeper Abbos Elmurodov sounded Uzbekistan’s intentions shortly after the start when he ventured upfront and forced a diving save from his counterpart Noah Feilich, with Shakhram Fakhriddinov then hitting the side netting from the resulting corner.
Elmurodov made timely but easy saves from Grant Lynch and Dominic Cox before Jyden Harb opened the scoring in the eight minute when he picked up a pass from Ethan De Melo and rolled his shot in from the left.
Cox doubled their advantage seconds later after being set up by Wade Giovenali, the midfielder racing to the ball before Muzaffar Akhadjonov and sliding it in beyond an out-of position Elmurodov.
A composed Uzbekistan replied through Anakshon Rakhmatov, who slammed the ball past Feilich after some hard work on the left by Sunatulla Juraev and then equalised in the 11th minute when Ikhtiyor Ropiev used his knee to force the ball past the keeper, who was too slow off his mark.
Both sides came close over the next few minutes, but it was the Central Asian side who took the lead going into the break when skipper Iklhomjon Khamroev stooped to head in from close range following a lovely flicked-on backheel pass from Samadiddin Berkinov.
Australia started the second half with Giovenali’s curling effort forcing a diving save from Elmurodov, with De Melo hitting the right post shortly after with a cracking attempt.
The action then swung to the other end, Feilich pulling off consecutive saves from Eldor Nigmatoc and Akhadjonov and then using his legs to deny Khayrullo Solikhov, who fired from the edge of the semi-circle on the right.
Elmurdov and Feilich were kept on their toes as the clock wound down, but it was the latter who conceded again when Akhadjonov pounced on shoddy defensive work by De Melo and placed the ball beyond Feilich’s reach.
There was more woe for Australia when Uzbekistan requested a Video Support review after Giovenali brought down Akbar Usmonov, with the defender given his marching orders two minutes before the end.
