Publish Date: 2 December 2019 - 11:21

TEHRAN, Dec. 02 (MNA) – Iranian men’s futsal team was held with a 5-5 draw against Slovakia in the opening game of the 2019 Mashhad Cup in the northeastern Iranian city.

Held at Shahid Beheshti Stadium on Sunday night, fans were the major winner of the match as they could enjoy a game with plenty of tactics and goals.

The Iranian team’s head coach Mohammad Nazemosharia praised the performance of the European team after the match, saying that the game was a ‘real test’ for his team and helped to identify weaknesses. “Our players are not yet fully ready,” he said, noting that more work needs to be done in defense.

Iran will next meet with Belarus on Tuesday while Slovakia and Belarus will lock horns today.

This is a three-nation cup with the participation of Iran, Belarus, and Slovakia. Earlier, Kuwait had been named as another team participating in the competition but Kuwaiti officials have reportedly prevented the team’s departure to Iran due to security concerns. This is while security is provided all across the country.

Mashhad Cup will wrap up on Wednesday.

Iran is preparing to defend its title at the 2020 AFC Futsal Championship which is going to be held in Turkmenistan’s Ashgabat from Feb. 24 to Mar. 10.

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