Iran's coach praises Indonesia for unprecedented progress

Despite defeating Indonesia in the Asian final, Iran's coach gave high praise to the Southeast Asian team.

Iran once again confirmed its dominance as the king of Asian futsal. Coach Vahid Shamsaei's team won the 2026 Asian Futsal Cup. However, Iran's victory was not easily secured. They had to overcome Indonesia in a penalty shootout at Indonesia Arena on the evening of Saturday, February 7, 2026.

Iranian coach Vahid Shamsaei also commended the Indonesian national futsal team, stating that Hector Souto's squad has made remarkable improvements. "First of all, congratulations to Indonesia. They have made the best progress I have ever witnessed," Shamsaei said during the post-match press conference.

While appreciating Indonesia's national futsal team's progress, Vahid Shamsaei focused more on the match against Iran. He felt his team delivered an excellent performance. "My players performed brilliantly, and the most important thing is that we won the cup," he said.

Vahid Shamsaei also showed emotion when asked about winning the 2026 Asian Futsal Cup. The Asian futsal legend dedicated this title to the people of Iran. "As I said, all this honor belongs to my country," he added. "After retiring, I have tried to share my experience with the young players of Iran's national team," the 50-year-old man added.

Although Indonesia took the lead several times during the match, Iran calmly executed their strategy and persistently chased the score. Iran's equalizer at 4-4 with a power-play goal by Mehdi Karimi in the 37th minute was a major turning point, completely changing the final's dynamics.

Nevertheless, the penalty shootout proved too challenging for Indonesia. Missed shots by Israr Megantara and Dewa Rizki led to Indonesia's defeat against the more experienced opponent. CNN Indonesia described this loss as a “valuable but necessary lesson” for a team on the path of growth.