Indonesian fans erupted with emotion after narrowly missing the Asian championship title

The Asian futsal final between Indonesia and Iran concluded with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory for Iran. Despite falling short of the title, Indonesia set a historic milestone as the Asian runners-up, igniting passionate emotions among their fans.

In the first half, Iran took an early lead at the 3rd minute from a free kick by Hossein Tayebibigoli. At the 7th minute, Reza Gunawan equalized 1-1 for Indonesia. Immediately after, Israr Megantara scored twice at the 8th and 9th minutes, putting Indonesia ahead 3-1, before Karimi narrowed the gap to 2-3 at the 18th minute. In the second half, at the 24th minute, Ahmad Abbasi leveled for Iran at 3-3, but Samuel Eko quickly restored Indonesia's lead at 4-3. At the 38th minute, Karimi scored during a power-play to equalize at 4-4. In extra time, Israr increased the score to 5-4 at the 48th minute, but seconds later Salar tied it again at 5-5 for Iran.

Neither team could decide the winner in the remaining time, forcing the match into a penalty shootout. At the 6-meter spot, Iran showed greater composure by winning 5-4, officially claiming the championship, while Indonesia accepted the runner-up position in Asian futsal with surprise but great pride.

Despite the loss, Indonesia made history by becoming the first Southeast Asian team to reach the final and finish as Asian futsal runners-up. This achievement immediately sparked a strong reaction on Indonesian social media. One fan commented: “Three out of five of Iran's goals came from set pieces, which is truly crazy… When will we see the ‘king of Asian futsal’ struggle so much in open play like this again?”

Another fan remarked: “Conceding five goals yet still finishing second in Asia is an incredible accomplishment.”

Additionally, many Indonesian fans expressed pride and celebrated despite their team not winning the title. One fan shared: “For the first time in history, a Southeast Asian team has finished second in Asia, we have made history!”

Fans encouraged their players: “Even though we lost on penalties, Indonesia is still the champion in the hearts of the supporters!” or “Being Asian runners-up was unthinkable a few years ago, thank you to the Indonesian futsal warriors!”

Although the defeat to Iran may bring some regret, Indonesia's journey in this tournament demonstrated the remarkable progress of Southeast Asian futsal. With the current squad and their resilient spirit, Indonesia can certainly aim for even greater goals in the near future.