(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
India’s futsal team faces Mongolia in a crucial Group A match on Wednesday at Qushaian Al Mutairi Hall in Ardiya, Kuwait. After tough losses in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, the squad wants to grab their first-ever international win and end the tournament strong.
The team has struggled so far. They fell 1-4 to hosts Kuwait in their opener, then suffered a shocking 1-10 defeat to Australia on Monday—their worst loss in India’s short futsal history. That result, plus Kuwait’s 6-2 victory over Mongolia later that day, knocked India out of contention for the Asian Cup.
Head coach Reza Kordi didn’t hold back after the Australia game. “First of all, I am so sorry about the result. All of us are unhappy,” he told the All India Football Federation’s website. He pointed to the huge physical gap and poor play. “In my opinion, we played very, very poorly. Physically, there was too much difference between India and Australia.”
Unlike the more organized defense against Kuwait, where players fought hard, Australia’s speed and power overwhelmed them. Seaton D’Souza’s solid first-half goal was India’s only bright spot in their ninth international futsal match since debuting in 2023.
Kordi blamed the heavy loss partly on quick turnaround time. The Kuwait game was less than 48 hours earlier, and recovery fell short. “I think we also couldn’t recover properly after the match against Kuwait,” he said. “Our players gave 100 percent in that game, and after that, they needed good recovery and rest. Without that, this result happened. Physically, today, we were very bad.”
Even though India’s out of the running for the Asian Cup, this clash with Mongolia could change everything for futsal in India. A win would mark their historic first victory, boosting a sport that’s still new to the country and sparking more interest among fans.
Motivation tops the list right now, especially after conceding 10 goals. Kordi stressed the need to rally the team. “It is very important for us to win our first match in futsal,” he said. “We are working very hard. In modern futsal, first of all, you need to have motivation, and after that, you can win with tactics and technique. That’s why recovery is so important now, and also the mentality of the players. We must motivate them for the last game against Mongolia, and hopefully, we will beat them.”
Mongolia, ranked higher at 110th compared to India’s 135th, brings more experience with over 14 years in international futsal. But they’re winless in qualifiers since 2018 and eager to break that drought. Both teams see this as a must-win finale—like a high-stakes showdown that could redefine their campaigns.
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