TEHRAN - Iran kicked off their AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2025 campaign with an emphatic 12-2 victory over Indonesia in Group C at the Jomtien Beach Arena on Friday.

The win gives the three-time champions an early boost in their title defence and they next take on Afghanistan on Sunday, while Indonesia will aim to bounce back against the United Arab Emirates.

A miscommunication between Ketut Sudiartawan and goalkeeper Pratama proved costly for Indonesia, as his attempted pass ended up in their own net, giving Iran an early lead.

The Central Asian side doubled their advantage when Mahdi Shirmohammadi found the net with a right-footed shot from close range in the sixth minute of the first period. 

Iran had a chance to extend their lead further, but Mohammadali Nazarzadeh’s free-kick from the right flank ricocheted off the post just as the timer signaled the end of the first period.

Naderi Hossein’s side continued to dominate the game after the break, with Mohammad Masoumi sending the ball past Indonesia’s custodian following a goalmouth scramble.

There was no stopping Iran as goalkeeper Seyedmahdi Mirjalili moved forward to the centre of the pitch before slotting the ball past a helpless Pratama for the defending champions’ fourth of the game.

Iran’s Syed Ali Nazem missed a penalty in the 15th minute to give the Southeast Asians some respite but Nazarzadeh then made up for his earlier squandered effort by scoring from the spot.

Indonesia pulled one back through Made Adhi Kurniawan’s penalty shortly after but with just 12 seconds remaining of the second period, defender Movahed Mohammadpour calmly slotted home Iran’s fifth goal.

The 2023 champions wasted no time in the third period, as striker Mahdi Shirmohammadi made it 6-1 and as the game neared its end, Mokhtari scored twice, Nazarzadeh added his second while Seyed and Ali Mirshekari netted one each. 

Indonesia pulled one back through Angga Pratama but it was a totally dominant performance from Iran. 

Source: the-afc