Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Isfahan: Krygyzstan’s MFC Emgek secured a place in the quarter-finals of the AFC Futsal Club Championship on Saturday evening with a 8-3 win over Lokomotiv at Naghse Jahal Stadium while the side from Uzbekistan became the first team to exit the 2015 edition of the continental competition.
Lokomotiv lost their opener to reigning champions Nagoya Oceans on Friday and not even a brace from Sarvar Shaakhmedov could save Akhadjon Yusupov’s men from elimination.
Ruslam Ermekov claimed a hat-trick and and Ilias Chotbaev scored twice while Salamat Mambetaliev, Akparaly Danibaev and Ruslan Gafurov also found the back of the net for the Kyrgyz side, who will go into the quarter-finals no matter the result in Sunday’s meeting with Nagoya.
“The Lokomotiv team is a very strong team but we had very good preparations for this tournament, so let’s see what is next,” said MFC Emgek coach Kanimet Aralbaev.
“I’m not surprised we won by so much, I trust my players and I believe in them. I saw the game between Nagoya and Lokomotiv yesterday, so I knew what to expect.
“Before the tournament we had targeted a place in the knockout rounds and we will be aiming to win tomorrow as well.”
Chotbaev put MFC Emgek in front after just two minutes with a well-struck effort from wide on the right, but three minutes later Shaakhmedov had levelled when he swept the ball past goalkeeper Kirill Ermolov.
Mambetaliev put MFC back in front from the penalty spot in the 12th minute before Shaakhmedov equalised again for Lokomotiv when his shot from the edge of the area went under Ermolov.
Just a minute after the restart MFC regained the lead when Ermekov scored with a free kick and three minutes later the club from Kyrgyzstan extended their advantage as Danibaev clipped the ball under goalkeeper Khazratkulov.
Tokhir Abdurazzakov scored for Lokomotiv from close range in the 25th minute to keep the outcome in the balance but, as the Uzbeks pushed forward looking for the goal required to level the game, Ermekov claimed two more while Chotbaev and Gafurov also netted.
“As you saw, it was such a hard game,” said Lokomotiv coach Yusupov. “We took some risks and they didn’t come off. That’s why we lost.
”We came here to learn from this tournament because all of our players are very young. We came here to learn something. We didn’t know if we could qualify or not, but now we know the result.”