Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Luque: After thriving at a memorable AFC Beach Soccer Championship in Thailand earlier this year, Japan, UAE and Oman are ready to show the world’s best what they’re made of when the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019 begins on Thursday.
The Asian trio are part of a 16-strong field in the battle for sand supremacy, which will be held in a landlocked country for the first time in history.
Ahead of Thursday’s kick-off, which includes a blockbuster opening night encounter between hosts Paraguay and Asian champions Japan, the-AFC.com tells you all you need to know about the Continent’s contenders.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/japan_beach_soccer_training.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/japan_beach_soccer_training_-_jfa.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/talib_hilal.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/sami_al_bulushi.html
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Four Asian match officials have been appointed for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019
United Arab Emirates' Ebrahim Almansory, Malaysia's Suhaimi Mat Hassan, Bakhtiyor Namazov from Uzbekistan and Shao Liang of China PR will form the Asian contigent.
They will be joined by 20 referees from 20 countries to take charge of the matches.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Asunción: Japan will begin their campaign against host nation Paraguay, while UAE and Oman landed in challenging groups as the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019 draw was staged on Friday.
The Asian contenders, who qualified after finishing as the top three sides in March’s AFC Beach Soccer Championship Thailand 2019, will look to follow in the footsteps of Islamic Republic of Iran, who reached the semi-finals in the previous edition in the Bahamas two years ago.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Pattaya: As Japan celebrated clinching the AFC Beach Soccer Championship Thailand 2019 title, head coach Ruy Ramos expressed joy at the achievement, and revealed his belief that Asian teams are capable of challenging at the global Finals.
The East Asians emerged as champions after an epic, arm-wrestle of a final against United Arab Emirates, with Takaaki Oba finally delivering the knockout blow to seal victory in a penalty shootout after the match finished 2-2 on Sunday.
Ramos, who won the AFC Asian Cup with Japan as a footballer in 1992 after arriving in the country 15 years earlier, revealed his elation at sealing the momentous win.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Pattaya: A relieved Oman head coach Talib Hilal hailed his players, and labelled goal scorer Sami Al Bulushi a hero, after his side booked their place at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay with a penalty shootout win over Palestine on Sunday.
Hilal's men had been 2-0 down with just eight minutes remaining in the all-important play-off for third at the AFC Beach Soccer Championship Thailand 2019, but two goals in three minutes from Al Bulushi took the match to penalties, where Oman prevailed 2-1.
"Now I can breathe," said the Omani head coach, who guided the West Asians to the Finals in 2011 and 2015.
"It was not an easy game. As I have said, I respect any team, and the game was tough. There was only chance if you wanted to go to the World Cup, and today was the chance for two teams."
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Pattaya: As Japan clinched the AFC Beach Soccer Championship Thailand 2019 title, team captain Ozu Moreira was rewarded for a stunning campaign, winning both of the competition's major individual awards.
Ozu was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player, while his nine goal-haul in Japan's six matches also saw the towering star claim the Top Goal Scorer Award, one ahead of teammate Shusei Yamauchi.
The dual awards are the latest in a long line of accolades for the Brazilian-born Ozu, who has been voted one of the world's 'Top Five' at the Beach Soccer Stars Awards for four of the last five calendar years.
He was also voted best player in the 2013 and 2015 editions of the Asian Beach Soccer Championship, which were staged before the tournament came under the AFC's umbrella.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Pattaya: Japan emerged as the beach soccer kings of Asia, beating UAE 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the AFC Beach Soccer Championship Thailand 2019 final on Sunday.
Takaaki Oba was the man who slammed home the winning penalty, after Masuyaki Komaki and Ozu Moreira scored Japan's goals during a gripping and high-quality decider.
UAE valiantly fought back from 2-0 down thanks to two goals in two minutes from Ali Mohammad, but the West Asians couldn't find a third, meaning the match was decided by spot-kicks.
Both sides will represent Asia at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay, along with Oman, who won the third place play-off earlier in the day.