Taiwan are hosting top-ranked teams in the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) U20 Futsal Invitation tournament at the Taoyuan Arena in the run-up to the Asian Football Confederation U20 Futsal Championship in June.
Japan are to take on Indonesia in the opener today at 3pm, followed by Taiwan facing Iran at 7pm.
The competition will serve as a warm-up for the men’s national squad, who in December last year topped Group B in qualifying for the regional championship by defeating Mongolia 3-1 and trouncing China 7-3.
The four teams are among 12 sides who are to compete in the finals, scheduled for June 14 to 23 in Tabriz, Iran.
“For this tournament, the four teams will face each other over a total of six matches. These are international friendly matches for the youngsters to play against other top teams without too much pressure,” CTFA secretary-general Fang Ching-jen said yesterday.
The national squad is comprised of players from high school and university teams who have shown good skills and the potential to go far, Taiwan head coach Chang Chien-ying said.
“We want to thank the CTFA for organizing this invitational futsal tournament. It is an excellent opportunity to train and get ready for the Asian championship in Iran,” Chang said.
“This competition will really help the young players, as it will provide them an opportunity to soak up real game experience and spur them on to become better players,” he said.
Iran head coach Hamid Shandizi said: “We are grateful to participate here, and our team will give the best effort to get the desired result.”
Japan head coach Ryuji Suzuki said that his side would face three strong teams, so they must perform their best to win.
They will gain valuable experience from these games, he added.
Indonesia head coach Kensuke Takahashi thanked the CTFA for the invitation, saying that it is a good way for his team to play and hopefully get good results before June’s championship.
Tomorrow, Japan are to face Iran at 3pm and Taiwan are to play Indonesia at 7pm.
On Sunday, Iran are to take on Indonesia at 3pm, while the finale will see Taiwan compete against Japan.
CTFA officials called on the public to attend the games and cheer on all the teams.
Advance tickets are to cost NT$200, while entry at the gate costs NT$300.
Discounts are available for children and people older than 65, as well as Taoyuan residents and people with disabilities.
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