Afghan Futsal Coach Declares Team’s Rising Power in Asia Amid Challenges

Majid Mortazaei, head coach of the Afghanistan national futsal team, while defending his team’s performance in the Islamic Solidarity Games, emphasized that Afghan futsal would not have achieved its current progress without the help and presence of Iran…

A new power in Asia has emerged

Majid Mortazaei, the head coach of the Afghanistan national futsal team, in evaluating his team’s performance in the group stage of the Islamic Solidarity Games, said that the advancement of Iran and Morocco to the finals of this competition illustrates the difficult level of Group A. He pointed out that the two-all draw between Afghanistan and Iran in the group stage shows that the world must accept that a new power has emerged in Asia, which has much to say. Mortazaei added: Our chances against Iran were more dangerous than this team. If our player had been accurate in the last five seconds, we would have won and advanced instead of Iran.

The ultimate goal: Final of the Asian Cup

The head coach of the Afghanistan national futsal team criticized Iranian futsal experts, noting that accepting the progress of Afghan futsal might be heavy for some. He announced that his team has specific programs during the game that have been less addressed in Iran. Mortazaei confidently stated: I see the necessary capability in my team to play against Iran in the final of the Asian Cup, God willing. He expressed that Afghanistan has risen from rank 110 in the world to rank 30 with an ascent of 80 places, stressing that if the Afghanistan Football Federation makes necessary changes in details such as nutrition, accommodation, and fitness training, the national team could rank among the top four teams in Asia. He also pledged that in the Asian Cup, while grouped with Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia, they would stand strong against Japan and Uzbekistan and should not fear these teams, as Iran has no rivals in Asia, and fear of certain competitors challenges the players’ performance.

A nation cannot be separated from Iran

In a significant part of his remarks, Mortazaei acknowledged Iran’s direct role in the growth of Afghan futsal. Despite occasional challenges in the relations between the two countries, he stated: Whatever we do, we cannot separate Afghanistan from Iran. In response to a question about the status of Afghan futsal without Iran’s assistance, he emphasized: The events that occurred for Afghanistan would not have happened. He considered Iran’s futsal strength as the main factor in assisting Afghanistan, stating that Afghan coaches have gained experience in Iran, and Afghanistan’s preparatory rivals, who play in the first or second division of Iran, are stronger than 70% of Asian teams.

Strong criticism of discriminatory and racist laws

The head coach of the Afghanistan national team strongly criticized the decision of the Qom Football Association to prohibit Afghan players from participating in this province and also criticized the Iranian Futsal League’s law. He asked: Whether you like it or not, Afghan futsal is on the path of growth, why don’t you want to be part of this progress? Mortazaei criticized the Premier League law that restricts the presence of more than one Afghan player in a team, referring to FIFA’s regulations concerning resident players, and added: We should not view the people of any country with contempt, and there should be no racism in anyone.