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The Continent’s top 16 teams will embark on a quest for ultimate supremacy on the court this Wednesday when they gather for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Thailand 2024.
Staged in the vibrant capital city of Bangkok, the 17th edition is set to run from April 17 to 28 and the top four finishers will qualify for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024.
Fifteen sides successfully navigated a qualifying campaign last October that featured 30 teams to join automatically-qualified hosts Thailand and the contenders were divided into four groups at the official draw ceremony last December.
Defending champions Japan and record 12-time winners Iran, who have contested eight previous finals, headline a cast that also include Thailand and Uzbekistan – the only other two teams to be involved in every tournament to date.
The first match takes place at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium between Vietnam and Myanmar in Group A at 2pm as the Southeast Asian pair meet for the first time. Appearing for a sixth consecutive edition and seventh overall, Vietnam’s best finish was fourth in 2016 while Myanmar are taking part for just the second time, having debuted in 2018.
The home side, serving as hosts for the third time – joint-most with Uzbekistan – then takes centre-stage at 6pm as they aim to better their pair of runners-up finishes from 2008 and 2012. China, their first Group A opposition, are marking their 13th appearance and a return to the Finals after missing the previous edition; fourth is their highest placing, achieved in 2008 and 2010.
Also on Wednesday, Group B gets underway at the Bangkok Arena with a 4pm kick-off between Uzbekistan and Australia. Having placed second on four occasions, Uzbekistan are searching for a breakthrough triumph while the Australians, whose last participation was in 2016, will aim to surpass their best finish of fourth from 2012 on their eighth appearance.
The second match of the group starts at 9pm and finds Saudi Arabia facing Iraq. Making their second consecutive appearance and third overall, the former are eyeing progress to the Knockout Stage for the first time while their more experienced opponents are chalking up a 13th participation and count a fourth placing in 2018 as their best showing.
The remaining two groups swing into action the following day, April 18, with Tajikistan taking on Korea Republic at 2pm at the Bangkok Arena. The furthest that the Central Asians have advanced in any of their previous 11 appearances is the last eight (2007, 2022), while the East Asians – second in 1999 – are involved for a 15th instance. The pair have met twice in prior editions, with Tajikistan victorious in both encounters.
Triumph in 2022 ended Japan’s eight-year wait for a fourth crown and the holders embark on their hunt for a fifth at 6pm against the Kyrgyz Republic, who have 15 previous appearances under their belt and placed fourth – their highest finish – thrice in a row from 2005 to 2007.
Iran are the only team to have never finished outside the top three and the powerhouses’ mission to claim a 13th title begins at 4pm in a Group D opener at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium against debutants Afghanistan, who succeeded in their fifth qualification campaign to become the 36th different side to appear at a Finals.
The first round of matches closes with a 9pm showdown between Kuwait, fourth-place finishers in 2003 and 2014, and 2018 Quarterfinalists Bahrain; the fixture marks the 13th and fourth involvements respectively for the duo.
Nine teams – Australia, China, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam – will hope to appear again at the FIFA Futsal World Cup, which will take place between September 14 and October 6, 2024 – the first time the global showpiece will be held in Central Asia.
As Uzbekistan have automatically qualified as hosts, the fifth-placed team will be determined via Playoff matches if the Uzbeks progress to the Semifinals of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Thailand 2024.
All times indicated are in local time.
