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Iran vanquishes Turkmenistan at AFC Women's Futsal Championship

Thursday, 03 May 2018 5:17 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 03 May 2018 5:20 PM ]

Members of the Iran women's national futsal team pose for a photograph prior to the start of the 2018 AFC Women's Futsal Championship Group D match against Turkmenistan at Indoor Stadium Huamark, Bangkok, Thailand, on May 3, 2018.

The Iran women's national futsal team has chalked up its first resounding win at the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Futsal Championship, thrashing the Turkmen squad in the group stage of the continental tournament.

On Thursday, the Iranian sportswomen routed their Central Asian opponents 14-0 in their opening Group D fixture at Indoor Stadium Huamark in the Thai capital city of Bangkok.

The Iranian outfit got off to a sound start, and managed to take an early lead only five minutes into the match, when striker Fatemeh Etedadi hit the ball in the back of the net.

The Iranian futsal players maintained their pressure on the Turkmen team, and took the lead to go 2-0 ahead, when Fahimeh Zarei shot on a volley directed at the opposite side’s goalpost.

Zarei was on target once again shortly afterwards and scored Iran’s third goal.

Fereshteh Karimi then found the back of the net, before Etedadi hit a direct free kick that Turkmenistan’s goalkeeper could not parry.

Etedadai and Karmi got two more goals in quick succession for the Iran women's national futsal team in the 17th minute.

Nastaran Moghimi shot from behind the six-yard box a minute later and made it 8-0 before both teams went into the cloakrooms.

In the 23rd minute, Karimi placed the ball inside the opposite side’s net to nail the ninth goal for Iran.

Another goal by Arezou Sedghianizadeh shortly afterwards took the score to 10-0.

Sara Shirbeigi converted a marvelous chance in the 32nd minute to put Iran 11-0 in front.

Etedadi was on target twice in the 35th and 38th minutes of the fixture, before Zarei tacked Iran’s last goal of the day and sealed her team’s outstanding victory.

The Iranian women's national futsal team is scheduled to face Uzbekistan in its second fixture on Monday.

The 2018 AFC Women's Futsal Championship, which is the second edition of the international event, started on May 2 and will close on May 12, 2018.

The Iran women’s team is pitted against squads from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the preliminary round of the tournament.

Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau and Thailand form Group A.

Group B consists of Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Bahrain, China, Japan and Lebanon are drawn in Group C.

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