TEHRAN - Iran defeated Afghanistan 10-3 in their opening match of the CAFA U19 Futsal Championship on Saturday.

Five teams will battle for regional bragging rights over five Matchdays at Bishkek’s Gazprom Arena, with every CAFA Member Association except for Turkmenistan taking part in the inaugural U19 event.

Played on a round-robin basis, the tournament will not only provide a platform for the region’s next generation of senior internationals but deliver competitive preparation for regional and continental competitions to come over the next two years.  

Each team will play four matches, with the final Matchday to be held on Saturday, February 19.

Central Asia has long been considered an Asian futsal hotspot, with 12-time continental champions Iran leading the way, while Uzbekistan have reached the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Final on four occasions.

Kyrgyz Republic has reached the semi-finals of the continental finals on three occasions, and Afghanistan were runners-up in the inaugural AFC U-20 Futsal Asian Cup in 2019, while Tajikistan have qualified for the last nine AFC Futsal Asian Cups.