News ID: 363

Date: 21 July 2025 - 20:53

Shahrzad Mozafar:

We're Proud to Have Secured a World Cup Spot

Friendly Against Russia Planned for Late October

Tehran – FFIRI: Head coach of Iran’s women's national futsal team, Shahrzad Mozafar, expressed satisfaction with the team’s qualification for the FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup, calling it a significant achievement for Iranian futsal.

“This is our first national team training camp since my return,” Mozafar said, speaking on the sidelines of the training sessions. “We’ve invited 31 players who had either never had the chance to join the national team before or hadn’t made it into the main squad. The selections were made based on extensive scouting by our technical team. Those selected from this camp will join the core squad that competed in the AFC Women's Futsal Championship.”

Mozafar pointed to a shortage of emerging talent in recent years, stating that the issue lies more with the league system than with national team coaches. “National teams should reflect the output of a vibrant league. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the depth of talent we need, which is a structural challenge.”

Regarding the age profile of the team, she added:
“Our current squad has a high average age, and after the World Cup, we’ll have the chance to gradually transition to a younger generation.”

When asked about the team’s upcoming preparations, Mozafar revealed:
“We're planning an overseas training camp, but the details have yet to be finalized. However, a friendly match with Russia has been scheduled for late October. We also hope to arrange further friendly matches with other Islamic countries.”

In response to recent claims made by former national team coach Forouzan Soleimani—who alleged that her removal was the result of lobbying—Mozafar firmly rejected the accusation:
“I want to thank the previous coaching staff for their efforts. Personally, I don't even want to repeat the term ‘lobbying.’ I worked in Kuwait for over six years and we came very close to qualifying for the AFC tournament. It wouldn’t make sense for me to leave such a project without cause. Due to leadership changes in the Kuwaiti federation, my contract wasn’t renewed, which opened the door for my return to Iran.”

She also addressed media speculation regarding her potential role with Esteghlal FC:
“I never signed any contract with Esteghlal. I had just one meeting with them to present my plans, and around the same time, discussions with the national team began. So I categorically deny the claims made by Ms. Soleimani.”

On Iran’s performance in the CAFA Women's Futsal Championship and the controversial draw against Vietnam, Mozafar refrained from detailed comment:
“I’m not in a position to speak about the Vietnam match. As for the team’s overall performance, I’ll leave that to others to assess. What matters most is that the team secured a spot in the World Cup. Had we failed, women’s futsal in Iran could’ve fallen behind by a decade.”