Iran blanks Mongolia 6-0 at 2017 AFC U-20 Futsal Championship
Iran’s national futsal team has pulled off a crushing victory at the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Futsal Championship in Thailand, sweeping the Mongolian squad in the preliminary round of the continental tournament.
On Wednesday, the Persians got off to a sound start, and managed to take an early lead in the 7th minute of the Group D fixture at Indoor Stadium Huamark in the Thai capital city of Bangkok, when midfielder Mohammad Taheri found the back of the net.
The Iranian futsal players maintained their pressure on the Mongolian team, and midfielder Sahand Rezapour doubled the lead in the 11th minute.
Captain Touhid Lotfi netted the third goal for Iran two minutes later, before striker Hamzeh Kadkhoda took the lead to 4-0 in the 16th minute.
Lotfi then scored a brace in the 20th minute. Iran’s sixth and final goal came on the half hour mark, when forward Mahdi Karimi placed the ball at the back of the net.
Iran’s national futsal team is scheduled to take on the United Emirates in its second preliminary round match tomorrow.
The 2017 AFC U-20 Futsal Championship kicked off in Thailand on May 16, and will wrap up on May 26.
A total of 21 teams are participating in the tournament. The 21 teams have been divided into four groups (one with six teams and three with five teams), with the group winners and runners-up advancing to the quarter-finals.
The tournament serves as qualifying for the futsal tournament at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the winner and the runner-up qualifying for the boys' tournament, where they will be represented by their U-18 representative teams.
Iran is pitted against China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and the United Arab Emirates in Group D.
Afghanistan, Bahrain, Brunei, Iraq, Malaysia, Thailand are drawn in Group A. Group B consists of Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Tajikistan and Vietnam.
Hong Kong, Lebanon, Myanmar, Qatar and Uzbekistan shape Group C.
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