AFC Futsal Championship Uzbekistan 2016: Group B

AFC – TASHKENT, Join the-afc.com as we take a look at the teams set to compete at the AFC Futsal Championship in Uzbekistan where silverware and five places at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016 are up for grabs.

GROUP B

IRAN (14th appearance)
Champions of the first seven editions of the AFC Futsal Championship, Iran were denied the chance for an eight consecutive title when they were beaten in the 2006 semi-finals by Japan, who had become the first team ever in history of the tournament to beat the Iranians when they won 3-1 in the group stage in 2005. Iran avenged their loss at Uzbekistan 2006 when they defeated the Japanese 4-1 in the final Osaka before going on to to take their tournament wins into double figures with triumphs in Thailand (2008) and Uzbekistan (2010) as the AFC Futsal Championship became a biannual event. An extra-time defeat to Thailand saw them miss out on the 2012 final in the UAE before Japan once again proved Iran’s nemesis as the East Asians took the 2014 title with a penalty shootout victory in the final in Vietnam.

IRAQ (10th appearance)
Just one year after making their tournament debut at the 2001 AFC Futsal Championship in Iran, Iraq reached the quarter-finals as the best third-place finisher in the group stage of Indonesia 2002, recording an incredible 20-1 win over Brunei in the process. Since then Iraq, who qualified for Uzbekistan 2016 as West Zone Group B runners-up, have been unable to reach the knockout phase in their seven subsequent appearances at the AFC Futsal Championship finals.

CHINA (11th appearance)
A mainstay at the tournament since making their debut at the 2002 AFC Futsal Championship in Indonesia, China have reached the semi-finals twice, missing out on a place in the 2008 and 2010 finals following defeats to Thailand and Uzbekistan respectively. China, who had to settle for fourth on both occasions having been beaten by Japan in consecutive third-place playoffs, booked their place at the 2016 tournament by topping the East Zone qualifiers undefeated, with their only blemish coming in an academic 3-3 draw against Korea Republic, which came with their ticket to Tashkent already assured.

JORDAN (Debut appearance)
One of two teams that are making their AFC Futsal Championship debut, Jordan overcame a bad start in Group A of the West Zone qualifiers to to take their place in Tashkent alongside table-topping Lebanon, who defeated them 5-2 in the opening match of the 2016 qualifying campaign. But the Jordanians recovered well and after a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia, they scored three times in a three-minute spell at the start of the second period and three times in a two-minute burst in the last ten minutes to defeat Bahrain 7-3 and advance as Group A runners-up.