Host Indonesia staved off a strong Iraq fightback to top Group A of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup in Jakarta following a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
The result set up enticing quarter-final ties with Indonesia to face Vietnam while Iraq will take on Thailand, with both matches to be played on Tuesday.
The match got off to a blistering start with both sides looking to draw first blood, Reza Gunawan forcing Ibrahim Ahmed into a save with Iraq then rocking the crossbar through Salim Faisal’s strike from distance.
The West Asian side were denied by the bar once again in the fifth minute, this time from Haedr Majed’s shot from an acute angle but it was Indonesia who found the breakthrough first with a set-piece goal, a tactic that has been used to good effect by them in the group stage.
Rio Pangestu picked out Samuel Eko in the sixth minute from a kick-in, with the latter sweeping home precisely into the bottom corner.
The woodwork continued to be a feature in the first half with attempts from Israr Megantara and Mustafa Ihsan only inches away from finding the back of the net as the score stayed unchanged going into the break.
Iraq had the better start in the second half as they forced Indonesia into defensive mode with the best chance coming three minutes in after good skills shown by Tareq Zeyad opened up space for Harith Saad to shoot but was palmed away by an alert Muhammad Nizar.
Utilising power play, Iraq turned their dominance into output as they shifted the Indonesia shape from one side to another to carve open a shooting chance for Majed in the 30th minute to sidefoot home the equaliser.
Iraq had the better start in the second half as they forced Indonesia into defensive mode with the best chance coming three minutes in after good skills shown by Tareq Zeyad opened up space for Harith Saad to shoot but the ball was palmed away by an alert Muhammad Nizar.
Utilising power play, Iraq turned their dominance into output as carved open a shooting chance in the 30th minute, with Majed sidefooting home the equaliser.
Nizar pulled off a great save in the 35th minute to deny Saad and despite Iraq’s persistent pressure, Indonesia stayed calm to see out the match and seal top spot.
In another Group A match, Kyrgyz Republic secured a hard-fought 3-2 win over Korea Republic in a fast-paced match. The Central Asian side were made to work for their first three points by Paulo Fernandes’ men, who closed their campaign empty-handed.
Meanwhile, Thailand defeated Vietnam 1-0 to secure top spot in Group B to seal a perfect group stage campaign.
With qualification secured and both sides extremely familiar with each other, it was no surprise that the teams adopted a cautious approach at the start of this all-Asean affair.
Action picked up in the fifth minute from a Vietnam counter attack that saw Vu Ngoc Anh’s strike denied by Arun Senbat while at the other end, Pham Van Tu got his fingertips to a ferocious Itticha Praphaphan effort to tip the ball onto the post.
Dinh Cong Vien then sped past Chaowala Sriarwut towards Thailand’s goalmouth but could not lift his shot high enough over Arun while Muhammad Osamanmusa’s trickery opened a gap for him to fire a shot in the 10th minute that was blocked by Pham, with the rest of the first period devoid of thrilling action.
The game intensity went up several notches in the second half with Thailand going close in the 22nd minute from a corner delivery that found Amarin Akapan in the centre but Pham stood tall to block.
Osamanmusa’s uncharacteristic mistake to lose ball possession to Nguyen Da Hai deep inside Thailand’s half almost proved costly but the Vietnam attacker drove his shot wide despite not being put under pressure.
Arun’s rash challenge on Vu in the 28th minute gifted Vietnam a free-kick on the edge of the semi-circle, with Nhan Gia Hung’s precise shot finding a gap in a crowded area but was unlucky to see his effort bounced off the base of the goal post.
The frame of the goal also denied Thailand three minutes later after Osamanmusa dribbled away from Nhan with his curling effort hitting the bar before an unmarked Amarin sliced an attempt just over.
The deadlock was eventually broken with four minutes left to play as Panut Kittipanuwong threaded the ball to Krit Aransanyalak, who ghosted in behind Chau Doan Phat to fire home the winner.
In another Group B match, Kuwait ended their campaign with a resounding 7-2 win against Lebanon.
The victory was their first and secured them a third place finish in Group B, with Lebanon completing their journey with no points.
