Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tashkent: Coach Miguel Rodrigo has warned AFC Futsal Championship holders Japan that they face a stern test of their title credentials ahead of their Group D opener against Qatar on Thursday at the Uzbekistan Stadium.
With nine surviving players from the squad that won the title in Vietnam two years ago, Japan again loom as one of the teams to beat but their Spanish coach has urged caution with a tricky group stage being the first obstacle to overcome.
“We are two-time champions of this tournament and it’s our aim to defend our title but this is a really tough group with three potential semi-finalists in Qatar, Malaysia and Australia,” said Rodrigo, whose side had preparation camps in both Czech Republic and Croatia.
“Qatar, I feel have got the model right in terms of developing futsal in Asia.
“Many nations think about the players first but in the case of Qatar they made sure they got the coaching model right and I feel that’s the correct approach so we know we will have to suffer if we are to win this first match.”
Despite having to face the might of Japan first up Qatari coach Tiago De Sousa believes his side can emerge as the surprise package of the tournament.
“We are the smallest nation by far at these finals with a population of only 300,000 but we are here to grow and learn with a target of reaching the final eight which would be a fantastic achievement for Qatar,” said De Sousa.
“For us, this is not a dream, that’s only for people who are sleeping a lot. We’re not sleeping, we’re here to work hard and improve.”
In the day’s later match Australia and Malaysia go head-to-head with the Futsalroos coach, Rob Varela, terming it a ‘must-win’ match.
“We face Japan in the last group match so really the first two games are like our finals but we’re under no illusions as to just how hard things will be,” he said.
“We know we are not as technical as some of the other nations but we have our own qualities and plan to utilise them.
“Perhaps we have a more physical approach than some other sides and that can really be used to our advantage as long as we don’t over-do it.”
Their opponents, Malaysia, have enjoyed a strong buildup where they played seven matches both at home as well as in Thailand and Vietnam and their coach, Marcelo Coelho, believes they arrive in Uzbekistan ready to challenge for a second-round berth.
“This is the second time in a row we’ll enter the competition and it’s exciting for us to show how far we’ve come in our development of futsal,” said Coelho.
“Australia is a strong team that has a great mentality and that’s something that’s not easy to build but we know that if we play to our strengths we can arrive at the last eight.
“We’ve had a good preparation and although we’ll approach things game by game the players are anxious to start.”
Photo: AFC