Tough Assignment For Qantas Futsalroos

The Qantas Futsalroos have a tough assignment ahead of them, when they participate in their first AFC Futsal Championships next month in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Qantas Futsalroos have a tough assignment ahead of them, when they participate in their first AFC Futsal Championships next month in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Of the four groups, Australia-s group, which consists on Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait and Lebanon, is the most open, according to the report on the AFC official website www.the-AFC.com

Kyrgyzstan will be favourites to win through to the semi finals, based mainly on their semi final performance in last year-s AFC Futsal Championship. Kuwait and Lebanon both made it through to the second phase last year, with Lebanon winning the Plate final.

Of the four teams, Australia is ranked highest (29) in the Futsal World Rankings, with Kyrgyzstan (31), Lebanon (41) and Kuwait (43)

However the format has changed for this year-s tournament, with only 16 teams participating and just one team from each group going through to the semi finals. If Australia manages to qualify for the semi finals it will play the winner of Group C.

Australia-s three matches are:

21 May v Kyrgyzstan   23 May v Kuwait   24 May v Lebanon   Australia progressed to the AFC Futsal Championships after going through undefeated in its tough qualifying group, which included a 5-4 win over group favourites Korea Republic, who in the end did make it through to the finals.   IR Iran has dominated the tournament, winning all seven editions of the AFC Futsal Championship, the last four against Japan. Both Iran and Japan are ranked inside the top ten in the world.

The tournament will take place from May 21-27.

The four groups are:

Group A - Uzbekistan, China PR, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia Group B - Japan, Tajikistan, Iraq, Hong Kong Group C - Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Australia Group D - IR Iran, Thailand, Indonesia, Turkmenistan