Shirbeigi has been injured recently, making it difficult to be included in the national team lineup. However, her recovery process hopes her to reach the fitness level she needs for the Asian Cup next month.
“We hope to be the Asian champions for the third time in a row. All our goals and efforts will be focused on this. But as you know, teams like Japan and Thailand are strong competitors, it’s difficult to achieve this. Still, we’re Iran.”
Iran competed in the 2025 SAT Futsal Championship Thailand, finishing as runner-up with Japan and Thailand.
“The Thai Tournament has been an important opportunity to participate in quality events over the years and face major rivals in Asia. Our team has changed dramatically along with others like Japan and Thailand. Participating in this event is extremely beneficial for us, allowing us to test our teams and better understand our rivals,” she said.
“To become champions, it is essential that younger players compete with larger teams and gain experience. Since joining the team, they have only been in CAFA competitions and we must emphasize that CAFA levels cannot be compared to this tournament in terms of quality.
“We still have weaknesses that we tackled during the Thailand Tournament. By addressing these issues, we hope we will be proud of the Championship Trophy for the third time.
Shirbeigi is dealing with injuries and has not yet fully recovered. However, she remains optimistic about the physical state of the Asian Cup, where Iran is grouped with Vietnam, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
“Following my rehabilitation training, I have worked hard to prepare for the Asian Cup. Unfortunately, I was injured on the last day of training during the Thai tournament. The team doctors did not allow me to play. Currently, I am 100% unprepared, but my goal is to prepare for the Asian Cup.”
MNA/TT