Amishiro was part of the squad that fell at the final hurdle in Malaysia, where Fereshteh Karimi’s eight-minute goal made Iran the first AFC women’s futsal champions.

Now 26, the SWH Futsal Club player has emerged as one of the stars of the tournament in Japan’s surge to the final, but she hasn’t forgotten how their last continental campaign ended.

“I want to win and become a champion in the final,” she declared

“In the previous tournament (in 2015) we lost in the final against Iran, so this time we want to take revenge in the game on Saturday.”

Already an Asian champion in Malaysia in 2015, Etedadi has lit up the courts of Thailand with nine goals in just four games to help the reigning champions reach a second consecutive decider against Japan.

After going scoreless three years ago, the 29-year-old opened her account at the 2018 continental championship with a four-goal haul against Turkmenistan, before scoring a double against Uzbekistan, a crucial strike against China PR and two more in the semi-final against Vietnam.

She is now in pole position to win the tournament’s top scorer award, although Japan’s Anna Amishiro and Thailand’s Sasicha Phothiwong remain in contention with eight goals apiece.

Etedadi said her scoring success is the result of hard work and the extension of excellent run of domestic form.

Masami Kato scored the winner for Kenichiro Kogure’s side seven minutes from time, to leave Thailand heartbroken after their resurgent second half had seen them equalise three minutes earlier.

The East Asians gained a measure of revenge in their first competitive meeting with the Thais since the 2017 Asian Indoor Games final, with Kato’s goal ultimately deciding an epic contest.

In an engrossing opening, Thai captain Jiraprapa Tupsuri was the first to test the keeper when she forced Ayaka Yamaoto into a smart early save.

But it was Japan who settled first, and they gained the crucial advantage five minutes in when a move started by Anna Amishiro, and continued by Mio Fujita, set up an unmarked Ryo Egawa to score.

To make matters worse for Thailand, Mutita Senkram – player of the match and scorer of a hat-trick in the quarter-final – was sent off six minutes later for a blatant foul on Amishiro, who had breached the defence and was bearing down on goal when she was unceremoniously pulled down from behind.

The hosts survived for two minutes with four players on the court, thanks largely to Pannipa Kamolrat’s brilliant save from an Amishiro effort, then had a wonderful chance to level the match just before half-time.

Shahrzad Mozafar’s side scored within five minutes, and were 4-0 up by half time, as they eased past a Vietnam side who had won all four of their previous matches at the tournament.

Veteran Fahimeh Zarei was influential, scoring once and providing two assists as Iran took another step towards retaining their status as Asia’s best women’s futsal team.

Iran will now face either hosts Thailand or 2015 runners-up Japan in Saturday’s tournament decider, while Vietnam, with their title hopes now extinguished, will play for third.

The defending champions came out firing, taking the initiative from as early as Fereshteh Karimi’s first-minute shot and they only had to wait four more minutes for the first goal, scored by Arezoo Sadaghanizadeh after a sharp pass from Zarei.