Afghanistan Advances to Futsal World Cup Round of 16

In a thrilling match on Sunday, September 22nd, Panama secured a 8-3 victory over Tajikistan, eliminating the Central Asian side from the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Despite Tajikistan’s initial lead, Panama’s effective defense and counterattacks turned the tide in the first half, ending the period with a 3-1 advantage. Although Tajikistan managed to pull one goal back in the second half, Panama’s dominance continued, with a series of goals ultimately sealing their victory.

With this win, Panama finished third in their group with 3 points and a goal difference of -7. Tajikistan, on the other hand, finished fourth without any points.

Afghanistan’s Path Forward

Afghanistan, having already qualified for the Round of 16 as the third-best team among the four third-placed groups, will now face Paraguay on September 25th in Tashkent.

A Historic Run for Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s journey to the World Cup has been remarkable. Despite being first-time participants, they finished the group stage with a victory over Angola and competitive losses against Argentina and Ukraine. Their performance against Argentina, particularly, garnered praise from international futsal experts.