Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Nassau: The Islamic Republic of Iran will fly the flag for Asia in the quarter-finals of this year’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in the Bahamas, with Switzerland standing between themselves and a spot in the last four.
Having seen both Japan and the United Arab Emirates fall by the wayside at the end of the Group Stage, Iran will now carry the hopes of a continent when they face their European opponents on Thursday (local time) at the National Beach Soccer Arena in Nassau..
Background
Head coach Mohammad Mirshamsi’s side booked their seventh appearance in the global finals by capturing last month’s AFC Beach Soccer Championship in Malaysia, comfortably accounting for United Arab Emirates with a 7-2 win in the final.
Iran scored an impressive 50 goals at the Kuala Terengganu event, 12 of them coming from tournament MVP Mohammad Mokhtari, and they are now targeting a FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup semi-final appearance after reaching the last eight in the two previous tournaments.
On both occasions, Iran’s competition came to an end in narrow defeats to teams which went on to reach the final. In 2013, they lost 6-5 to eventual champions Russia, while two years ago in Portugal they were eliminated 5-4 by a Tahiti side which fell only to the host nation. It is a measure of Iran’s progress that they defeated both sides at last November’s Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup.
Their FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017 story
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