News ID: 612

Date: 03 February 2026 - 00:32

Shamsaei to Players Before Uzbekistan Match: “Play Like Champions”

Vahid Shamsaei urged his players to perform with a champion’s mentality during the final technical meeting ahead of Iran’s knockout clash against Uzbekistan.

Technical meeting of Iran’s national futsal team was held ahead of tomorrow’s match against Uzbekistan in the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup (Indonesia).

At the beginning of the session, Vahid Shamsaei, head coach of Iran’s national futsal team, thanked the players for their sense of responsibility in the match against Afghanistan, stating:

“Within the coaching staff, we analyzed every moment of the match against Afghanistan. We are fully aware of each player’s level of readiness. We believe in you, and we know that you understand the responsibility you carry when wearing the jersey and representing the flag of Iran.”

He continued:

“Now we are in the knockout stage. For us, it makes no difference which team we face at this stage. Uzbekistan has always been a physical and resilient team and uses its own specific tools against us. But the key to our success is teamwork—playing for one another and for Iran.

Tomorrow, play like champions—the very thing that you already are.”

During the meeting, Shahab Safal‑Manesh, assistant coach of the national team, analyzed Uzbekistan’s performances and presented video footage of their matches in the group stage, particularly their game against Japan. He explained Uzbekistan’s defensive and attacking structures, methods for breaking down the opponent’s defense, and the tactical approaches required to exploit their weaknesses.

Iran’s national futsal team will face Uzbekistan on Tuesday, February 3 (14 Bahman) at the Velodrome International Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 09:30 AM.