AFC - Iranian futsal maestro Vahid Shamsaee, who missed the 2010 AFC Futsal Championship in Uzbekistan, is all set to make a return at the continental futsal scene again in Dubai this month.
The 37-year-old veteran was famously left out of the squad in Tashkent event which Iran ultimately won in his absence prompting the speculations over his future in continental as well as world futsal.
Speaking to the-afc.com after Iran lifted the trophy for the record 10 times, the two-time Asian futsal player of the year had said: “I have the hunger. I want another trophy, another MVP and another top goal-scorer title.”
Shamsaee’s dream could be fulfilled as he is expected to feature in the AFC Futsal Championship starting in Dubai on May 25. Though Iran’s hegemony will face stern tests from Japan, Uzbekistan and other emerging nations in the ranks of Thailand, Australia, Qatar but they are firm favorites to lift the trophy they conceded only once to Japan in 2006.
Shamsaee has another chance to shine in the continent as his club side Sanaye Giti Pasand is playing in the AFC Futsal Club Championship exactly one month after the Dubai event.
Shamsaee joined Giti Pasand last year after a three-year spell in Foolad Mahan.
Shamsaee has won almost all the individual titles a futsal player can get. He holds the record of seven time topsocrers’ honours in AFC Futsal Championship. He was also adjudged the MVP of the three AFC Futsal Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2008.
He also bagged the individual award of MVP and highest goal scorer in Foolad Mahan’s win in inaugural AFC Club Futsal Championship in 2010.
Iran is in Group B alongside Australia, Korea Republic and Qatar and they will begin their campaign on May 25 against Korea Republic. Shamsaee’s Giti Pasand will face Qatar’s Al Rayyan, hosts Yarmouk FC and Vietnam’s Thai Son Nam in Group A of the Asian Club Futsal Championship in Kuwait in July.