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The AFC.comChampionship came at right time: Al GraydSaturday, 30 June 2012Kuwait City: Kuwait Football Association (KFA) Futsal Committee Chairman Galy Al Grayd believes that the country is hosting the AFC Club Futsal Championship at a right time with the euphoria of Kuwait getting a berth in the FIFA World Futsal Championship still alive in the country.
Kuwait had booked a berth in the world’s showpiece for the first time in history by finishing fifth in the recently concluded AFC Futsal Championship.
“It was a huge lift for us before this competition,” he told www.the-afc.com. “The government has been very supportive for us to organize this competition and even the government is encouraged by the success of our national futsal team in Dubai.”
It may be the first time Kuwait is hosting any AFC centralized tournament, but Al Grayd believes that the KFA is already looking beyond the competition and thinking of hosting series of other international football tournament in future.
“We believe that we have the capacity to organize other AFC events and this competition is an ideal platform for us to start and at the same time judge where we are as organisers,” he added.
“Furthermore, this tournament will certainly help our futsal grow and since Yarmouk is our first club to participate in the finals, other local clubs will also try to do their best in the league which started just a couple of years ago.
“We are all prepared for the events, and we would also like to thank our government for unwavering supports which will definitely enable us to make this tournament an unforgettable experience,” he added.
The AFC club futsal championship is starting on Sunday with eight clubs from across Asia participating in the finals. Defending champions Nagoya Oceans, Iran’s Sanaye Giti Pasand, All Sports FC of Lebanon are automatic qualified teams after their respective member association’s club finished top-three in the 2011 edition of the competition.
Yarmouk SC also got automatic qualifications for being the hosts while Thailand’s GH Bank and Thai Son Nam of Vietnam qualified from the Zone 2. Uzbekistan’s Ardus and Al Rayyan of Qatar made up the list of the eight teams after being qualified from the Zone 1.
All the matches will be played at Yarmouk Indoor Stadium except those same-time kickoff matches on July 3. Al Arabi Hall will host two matches.
Sunday’s MatchesSanaye Giti Pasand vs Thai Son Nam
Yarmouk vs Al Rayyan
All Sports FC vs GH Bank
Nagoya Oceans vs Ardus
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The AFC.comGargelli adamant TSN can surpriseSunday, 01 July 2012Kuwait City: Thai Son Nam head coach Sergio Gargelli admits that they are the weakest side in paper in Group A but he warned that in football / futsal its not the best sides always win stressing that his club has the artillery to compete with any other clubs of the AFC Club Futsal Championship starting from Sunday.
Thai Son Nam qualified for the tournament proper after finishing second in the Zone 2 qualifiers behind Thai champions GH Bank to whom they lost the final 1-0 having won the semi-final over Indonesia’s Pelindo 2-1 in extra time.
“Yes on paper our opponent Sanaye Giti Pasand are Iranian champions so they are expected to do better. Likewise, Yarmouk has home advantage and Al Rayyan is being coached by a great tactician of the game but it is not necessary that the best team on paper wins,” the Italian said.
“We are the first Vietnamese side to participate in the competition and it would be difficult but our sight is to get through the group first.”
Thai Son Nam will play Iranian champions Giti Pasand on Sunday followed by subsequent matches against hosts Yarmouk SC and Al Rayyan.
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The AFC.comTough challenges for champions OceansSunday, 01 July 2012Kuwait City: Defending champions Nagoya Ocean will have to fight hard to retain the title they won last year in Qatar by defeating Iran’s Shahid Monsouri 3-2 in the extra time in one of the memorable finals in the history of Asian club futsal, according to Ocean’s Portuguese coach Jose Amarante.
The Japanese championship and cup winner coach is of the opinion that club futsal is growing faster in the continent and the standard has been raised with each succeeding competition.
“This year it will be definitely more difficult than last year, you can see the futsal league growing in other Asian countries and few of them has raised their game immensely,” he said.
Nagoya Oceans is in Group B alongside with Lebanon’s All Sports SC, Thailand’s GH Bank and West Zone qualifiers winner Ardus of Uzbekistan whom they play in the first match on July 1 followed by subsequent matches against GH Bank and All Sports SC.
“I must admit that the training had not been ideal with few AFC Futsal Championship playing Japanese stars joining the camp late and having fatigue concern.
“But this will not deter our motivation to win and successfully defend our tile. We have a challenge and I am confident my players will do their best to keep the title within the club,” he quipped.
The Japanese futsal giant recorded 61 points from 27 matches with star player Morioka Kaoru being top scorer with 34 goals in the F.league (Japan’s domestic league championship).
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The AFC.comA year of futsal celebration: Sainetngam Sunday, 01 July 2012Kuwait City: With Thailand hosting the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2012 and the Thai national team reaching the final of the AFC Futsal Championship a month ago, GH Bank’s Thai coach Rakphol Sainetngam considers the year 2012 as the year of futsal celebration in Thailand.
“A good run or probably a win here in the AFC Club Futsal championship would be an icing on the cake though club futsal is totally a different ball game and we only have three players from the national side which went all the way to the continental final,” said the GH Bank head coach Sainetngam.
GH Bank were qualified as the winner of Zone two qualifications and in the tournament which they dominated over all the sides, they managed to score massive 28 goals with the second best side to score being Indonesia’s Pelindo with nine goals.
“I must admit all the eight clubs are the champions of their respective nations and very strong but now people no more consider Thai futsal to make up the numbers, we have a young squad but I am sure that these boys are capable to beat any team in the championship,” he warned.
GH Bank failed to get past the group stage in their maiden campaign in 2011 when they drew two matches and lost to eventual runners-up Shahid Mansouri 5-4.
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The AFC.comAntonio labels Yarmouk ‘equal’Sunday, 01 July 2012Kuwait City: Qatar’s league champions Al Rayyan finished fourth in the AFC Club Futsal Championship 2011 but coach Juan Antonio asked the fans not to bank on their previous glory as club football / futsal always moves rapidly.
Al Rayyan, who qualified from Zone A qualification by finishing second behind Uzbek giants Ardus, had succumbed to penalty shootout loss at the hands of Lebanon’s Al Sadaka but that time Moroccan Hassan Rhouila was at the hot seat of the Al Raheeb.
“This is not an excuse or any justification but the recent tournament’s law on the restriction of foreign based players have hit us hard,” the Spanish tactician said highlighting the recent change in the quota of foreign player which only allow one foreign player at the court with registration guaranteed for the two foreign players and one Asian player.
Al Rayyan wrecked up 17 goals in four matches in the qualifiers which they ended behind all conquering Ardus.
When asked whether the Sunday’s win for either of Yarmouk or Al Rayyan will ensure a passage in the semi-final or not, Antonio stressed that a match alone would not decide anything.
“Definitely it’s not that Sunday’s winner would play in the semis or win the title and both the sides are equal. Yarmouk has the home advantage but in terms of experience and quality we are same.”
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The AFC.comYarmouk embody Kuwait’s futsal: De SouzaSunday, 01 July 2012Kuwait City: Kuwait’s hosting club Al Yarmouk SC’s Brazilian coach Eder De Souza is enjoying the expectations of the nation on his team in the AFC Club Futsal Championship starting from Sunday.
Al Yarkouk is participating in the continental event for the first time and being the hosts of the competition there are huge expectations across the gulf nation that the club side also replicate the success of the national team which managed to qualify for the first time in the FIFA Futsal World Cup to be held in Thailand later this year.
“This tournament is not only an important tournament for me as a coach or Yarmouk SC but we are representing the nation and have a pressure to do well, the 33-year old coach said.
“We are a balanced side with eleven Kuwaiti players, two Brazilians and one Iranian player and amongst those 11, five of them already have got an invaluable experience by playing for the national side in recently held AFC Futsal Championship.”
The Kuwait side have toured the Spanish city Barcelona and played four friendly matches as the tune-up for the competition. They also played five competitive local matches as part of their preparation for the July 1-6 championship.
“At this level, you are supposed to get tough opponents and I believe all the games are going to be tough. I am not seeing anything beyond Sunday’s clash against Al Rayyan, we need to win and for that we will try our best.”
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