2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup: Iran lose to Japan in final [VIDEO] 

Tehran Times – KUWAIT CITY, Iran lost to Japan 3-2 in the final match of the 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait at the Saad Al Abdullah Hall on Saturday.

Kenichiro Kogure’s side showed tremendous grit to come from behind to reclaim the trophy they last won in 2014, taking their overall tally to four titles.

Iran, who had scored 37 goals en route to reaching the final, started as aggressively as ever with Hossein Tayebi and Alireza Rafieipour to win the trophy for the 13th time.

Saied Ahmad Abbasi collected Mahdi Karimi’s pass and let loose a superb shot into the bottom right corner to open the scoring for Team Melli in the first half.

Shortly after, Kazuya Shimizu equalized the match with a brilliant right-footed shot.

Iran looked to close the first half strongly but Tayebi and Abbasi’s efforts were denied by Guilherme Kuromoto’s quick reflexes as both sides entered the halftime break with the title still very much up for grabs.

Japan captain Arthur Oliveira made it 2-1 early in the second half and Iran put the Japanese team under pressure to level the score but Kuromoto was hero and denied all efforts.

With the clock ticking, Iran head coach Vahid Shamsaei employed power play for the first time in Iran’s campaign with Tayebi donning the keeper’s jersey in the 36th minute. 

Tayebi came closest in the 39th minute with his strike deflecting off the upright but there was to be more woe for Iran with Abbasi slotting the ball into the back of his own net in the final 30 seconds. 

Iran pulled one back through Alireza Javan Shahkali with a second left on the clock but it was meant to be Japan’s final to celebrate. 

Earlier in the day, Uzbekistan defeated Thailand 8-2 in the third-place match.