Afghanistan made history by reaching the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Thailand 2024 knockout stage in their debut after defeating Bahrain 3-2 at Bangkok Arena yesterday.
With Group D winners Iran beating Kuwait 4-0 at Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, Afghanistan leapfrogged the West Asians on goal difference to take second place in the group.
Afghanistan will now face Group C winners Tajikistan in the quarter-finals for a place at the 2024 Fifa Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.
Coming into the tie Afghanistan knew that a win was the first priority in keeping their qualification hopes alive, but it was Bahrain who began the stronger with Saleh Sanjar stinging the fingertips of goalkeeper Javad Safari two minutes in.
The Central Asians responded in the fifth minute, however, and Mehran Gholami made Safari’s opposite number, Amin Mohamed, pull off a flying save to tip over.
And in their next attack Afghanistan had the lead they craved. Akbar Kazemi found Farzad Mahmoodi on the edge of the area, and he drilled his shot home.
On the 10th minute mark Afghanistan went inches from doubling their lead when Kazemi saw his low fizzer strike the foot of the post.
A well-worked set-piece saw Bahrain draw level with five minutes of the half remaining. Ammar Hasan ran over the ball and into the area and wasn’t picked up by the Afghanistan defence allowing Ali Al Araibi to find his teammate for an easy finish.
The turnaround was completed by Bahrain on the 17th minute as Mirza Al Noami was brought down in the area by Safari and Sanjar confidently dispatched the resulting spot-kick.
With 20 seconds of the half remaining Afghanistan could have drawn level only for Reza Hossein Poor’s blistering effort to cannon back off the intersection of crossbar and post.
Needing to restore parity as quickly as possible, Afghanistan came out with purpose and thought they had won a penalty four minutes into the second half only to see the video check determine the handball by Al Sandi was accidental.
But on the 25-minute mark, Afghanistan found their own leveller as Kazemi poked home at the second attempt after Mohamed’s initial save following Mehran Gholami’s corner-kick.
And with six minutes remaining the lead was one more back in the hands of Majid Mortezaei’s men as Kazemi’s persisted down the right flank ended with a ball into the on-rushing Gholami who fired home.
Bahrain had a chance in the final minute, but Al Araibi scuffed his shot wide from close range and saw Afghanistan hold onto the lead and secure their place in AFC Futsal Asian Cup history.
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