AFC FUTSAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP VIETNAM 2017: MEET THE TEAMS

Published on: 16 July 2017

Kuala Lumpur: Futsal fever is set to heat up as the continent’s top fourteen clubs prepare for the AFC Futsal Club Championship Vietnam 2017. Join the-afc.com as we analyse the teams who will be vying for the ultimate prize in Vietnam from this Thursday.

FOCUS ON GROUP A​

THAI SON NAM FC (VIE)

Vietnam made history twice in the past year after qualifying for two FIFA competitions for the first time – the first of which was the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Colombia. Perhaps the most intimidating fact for their Group A opponents - Eleven players from the national team who featured in the global futsal spectacle hail from Thai Son Nam FC.

The Southeast Asian side will be inspired by their fanatic home support as they seek to better their best-ever performance when they finished third in the AFC Futsal Club Championship Islamic Republic of Iran 2015.

The most decorated club in Vietnam futsal history, with four Vietnam Futsal League titles, Thai Son Nam FC will be competing in their fourth AFC Futsal Club Championship. In addition to the stellar home-grown cast, Spanish Head Coach, Miguel Rodrigo will also be relying on Spanish import Lukaian Baptista and Iranian Hossein Tayyebi, who was instrumental in the Central Asian team's historic third place finish in the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

AL DHAFRA FC (UAE)

AL Dhafra FC will be playing in their maiden AFC Futsal Club Championship, and for that reason alone are largely an unknown quantity in the competition. In Japanese rising star Rafael Katsutoshi Henmi and Azerbaijan international Williams Oliveira do Nascimento though; they bring two stars who featured prominently in the last two editions of the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Brazilian-born Nascimento, in particular, caught the eye in Colombia last year when he notched a famous hat-trick against Morocco en route to the quarter-finals.

VIC VIPERS FC (AUS)

Vic Vipers will be making their third consecutive appearance on Asia’s premier club futsal stage. The Vipers’ first foray in the AFC Futsal Club Championship China 2014 ended without registering a point when they were handed a tough draw alongside hosts Shenzen Nanling, Japanese giants Nagoya Oceans and Lokomotiv from Uzbekistan.

Since then though, the Australian side have grown from strength to strength, battling to an impressive 2-2 draw against eventual champions Nagoya Oceans in the group stage in Thailand last year.

As the only Australian club to compete against Asia's best, the Vipers will need an inspired performance from the talented Adam Cooper and Shayan Alinejad to stay within a fighting chance of making it past the group stages for the first time.

Adam Cooper will be a vital cog for Australia's Viv Vipers in the AFC Futsal Club Championship Vietnam 2017.

FC EREM (KGZ)

Despite competing in their maiden competition, FC Erem represent the aspirations of an emerging force in Asia. Almost half from the Kyrgyz Republic squad who surprised the Continent with a quarter-final finish during last year’s AFC Futsal Championship are FC Erem players.

Kyrgyz Republic’s biggest strengths in Uzbekistan were their ability and resilience to carve out victories against the odds. FC Erem will need a repeat performance if they are to emerge as the first club from the Kyrgyz Republic to progress beyond the group stage.

Photos: AFC 

Source: the-afc.com

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