The Afghanistan national futsal team suffered a disappointing 6–1 defeat against host nation Thailand in their opening match of the international Continental Championship, following an under-par performance.
Kabul 24: The match took place on Sunday evening, August 2, 2026 (11 Asad 1405), at 6:00 PM Kabul time, with Afghan players failing to demonstrate their usual cohesion and rhythm on the pitch.
This fixture also marked the debut of Dejan Đedović, the Serbian head coach, on the bench for Afghanistan’s national futsal team—a debut overshadowed by a heavy loss.
Afghanistan enters this key tournament without their main and crucial goalkeeper, Javad Safari, due to injury; an absence that clearly disrupted the team’s defensive structure.
The game remained relatively controllable for Afghanistan until midway through the second half.
As long as Ahmad Esmaili was in goal, the Afghan defense had conceded only a single goal. However, the critical turning point arrived in the fifth minute of the second half, when Esmaili was shown a direct red card for handling the ball outside the penalty area. Following the substitution of Ali Ahmad Mohseni into goal, Afghanistan’s defensive setup collapsed, allowing Thailand to score five additional goals.
Muhammad Moradi scored Afghanistan’s sole goal in the second half to slightly soften the blow of the defeat.
The Continental Championship is currently underway in Thailand, featuring five participating nations: Afghanistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, and New Zealand.
The Afghan squad has little time to recover and must face Vietnam tomorrow, Monday, in a crucial match to revive their standing in the tournament.
