Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Isfahan: Iranian futsal legend Vahid Shamsaee will make a decision on his future in the coming days after claiming both the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer Awards at the 2015 AFC Futsal Club Championship.
The 39-year-old scored 10 times across five games in a series of dominant individual displays as Tasisat Daryaei became the first Iranian team to be crowned Asian champions in three years with a 5-4 win over Kuwait’s Qadsia SC on Friday.
“After the success in this game and getting the trophy, I consulted the Holy Quran to see if I should say goodbye to futsal or not,” said the former AFC Futsal Player of the Year.
“I will think for two or three days but I’m tried after this tournament. But I have lots of motivation right now and I’m happy to get this trophy and very happy to participate in this championship.”
Shamsaee scored in every one of Tasisat’s matches and his tally included four goals in the 9-2 win over Qadsia in the final round of group matches as he played a key role in the continental title returning to Iran.
He was also amongst the scorers in the final, netting his team’s fourth goal as Tasisat defeated Qadsia in a final that concluded in nail-biting fashion.
But it was perhaps his performance in the quarter-final against Nagoya Oceans, when he scored twice and was instrumental in the 4-3 win over the defending champions, that he was most impressive during the eight-day long event.
“I should say congratulations to everyone who helped to deliver this championship,” he said. “We won this championship because of the work done by everyone at the club, not just the players but the staff and the management as well.
“This is a day of success for Iranian futsal, not just the players here but for all of Iranian futsal.”
Shamsaee insisted Iranian futsal should not rest on its laurels after winning the title and should, instead, use the victory as a spur to remain at the top of the Asian game.
“The trophy has now come to Iran and we’re so happy about this right now because it has been a very tough job,” he said. “We need to take motivation from this and we should stay in this good position.
“I can’t really say too much about the game, because the most important thing is that we have the trophy.”
Meanwhile, Thai Son Nam, who finished in third position at this year's championship, won the Fair Play Award.
Photo: WSG