Rafiei Pour Alireza Abolghasem from Iran training with his new team, Thai Son Nam, in HCM City. The team will compete in the upcoming AFC Club Futsal Championship in Thailand (Photo: tuoitre.vn) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - National champions Thai Son Nam are ready to competein the AFC Club Futsal Championship in Bangkok, Thailand from August 7 to 17.
As last year’s runners-up, the club's goal this year is to take the gold medal.
Thai Son Nam are in intensive training to prepare for their sixth appearance inthe annual tournament.
To prepare for the event, Thai Son Nam recruited Rafiei Pour Alireza Abolghasemfrom Iran and Kazuya Shimizu, who is the captain of Japan's U20 team.
Abolghasem played a big role in Iran's futsal team taking the title at the AFCChampionship in 2018. He is expected to bring Thai Son Nam’s quality to ahigher level. He plays the "fixo" role – the deepest position in theformation (similar to a centre defender on an 11-player football team).
“I am very glad to wear the jersey of a big club like Thai Son Nam," saidAbolghasem. "They are not only a big team in Vietnam but also in Asia. Ihave a wonderful boss and a good coach. I love everyone here."
“Last year, Thai Son Nam were the runners-up," he said. "This year, Iwant to help my new team take the title. This is a common desire of all membersof the team. We will try our best to complete this target."
To attract such high-level players as Abolghasem and Shimizu, the club surelyhad to spend big. According to a source, Thai Son Nam will spend up to 700million VND (30,400 USD) on each new foreign player.
The team also welcomed three key domestic players from Thai Son Bac tostrengthen their line-up: Nguyen Van Huy, Nguyen Thanh Tin and Vu Duc Tung.
This is not the first time Thai Son Nam has recruited a big foreign playerahead of the international event.
Ahead of the AFC Futsal Championship two years ago, the club signed HosseinTayyebi of Iran, who scored eight goals to help Thai Son Nam finish third.
Thai Son Nam are in Group B, which is considered the toughest of the fourgroups thanks to the presence of two rivals – Naft Al Wasat (Iraq) and Al RayyanSC (Qatar) – along with rookies AGMK FC (Uzbekistan).
This will be AFMK's first appearance in the continental tournament. The twoother teams have each faced Thai Son Nam several times in the past.
The team will leave for Thailand on July 29 to train before the competition.
The Vietnamese representative will take on AGMK on August 7, Al Rayyan onAugust 9 and Nafit Al Wasat two days later. - VNS/VNA
VNA
