TEHRAN - Iran will not take Indonesia’s challenge for granted when they meet in the final of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 on Saturday.

A record-extending 14th title is on the line for the defending champions but head coach Vahid Shamsaee has promised his team will take an Indonesian side seeking to create more history seriously.

The hard-fought 4-2 semi-final win against Iraq earned Iran their spot in the title decider but to go up against Indonesia with the backing of the home crowd will present a different challenge for the 50-year-old, who has lifted the coveted trophy both as a player and coach, the-afc.com reported.

“I believe it’s going to be an attractive game tomorrow for two reasons,” said Shamsaee. “The (Indonesian) fans love to show their passion and their love for the sport. Secondly, we are facing a team who are in the final for the first time and have a lot of motivation.

“This is the beauty of the game, the unpredictability. If we put it on paper, of course Japan will be top of the list but when we enter the field, anything can happen like Indonesia entering the final.

“The number of trophies and titles that Iran won is a lot, but it’s in the past. Tomorrow is a new game. Like the other coaches, I respect Indonesia. We are focused on having a fair game and whoever deserves it, will take the title.”

It has been an exhilarating tournament for Indonesia, who surpassed their best in every stage, having only reached the quarter-finals once in previous editions.

Souto fully expects the hosts to continue riding on the incredible support they have received with focus on recovery after the grueling 5-3 semi-final win against Japan that went into extra-time, with their fans roaring them on.

“This kind of adrenaline has made it positive not negative,” said Souto. “We handled it well as we had experienced it in friendly matches here where we had 15,000 people in the crowd. We are now in the final of one of the major futsal events in Asia and the world.

“In the final, it (support) will not be crucial because the main thing is what happens on the pitch. But it’s a positive factor for us because they support us and I’m confident it will continue.

“Iran have played 105 games in this tournament (over the years) and only lost four times, so we have no pressure. The pressure is on Iran. They are the defending champions and they have players playing abroad. They have the skills and amazing players.

“We have to recover well because we finished later than them and played extra time. The team are in a good place, our togetherness gives us motivation, we understand each other and with our tactics, I’m sure we will be competitive.”

The match will be held at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta.