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New Futsalroos Head Coach Miles Downie has named a 14-player squad for Australia’s tilt at the forthcoming AFF Futsal Championship 2022 in Thailand.

The squad, which features Australia’s brightest emerging Futsal players, departed Australia bound for Bangkok on Sunday where they will spend a week preparing for their first game of the tournament on April 4.

This week, the Fulsalroos are scheduled to take on local Thai futsal clubs, Thonburi University and Thammasat as they prepare to compete at the AFF Futsal Championship.

Australia will play Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste in Group B of the competition, and will need to finish either first or second in their section to advance to the Semi Finals, which would then provide the team with the opportunity to qualify for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup to be held later this year.

Downie – who will be assisted by Football Queensland Futsal Head Coach Bruno Cannavan – said participation in the AFF Championship will provide his chargers with invaluable exposure following Australia’s extended absence from international Futsal.

“This year’s AFF Futsal Championship is the first time the Futsalroos have competed in an international competition since 2019 and marks what we hope will be the beginning of a prosperous time for Australian Futsal,” Downie said.

“With an eye on the future, we have deliberately selected a squad full of exciting prospects who we believe will challenge the highly skilled South East Asian nations during the upcoming Championship and form part of the national team for years to come.

“Due to the pandemic, we enter this tournament with minimal game time under our belts, however I expect this squad to surprise our more experienced and fancied opponents as we look to qualify for this year’s AFC Futsal Asian Cup.”

The AFF Futsal Championship 2022 will be played at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok between April 2 and 12. Full tournament fixture .

2022 will mark Australia’s sixth participation at an AFF Futsal Championship. The Futsalroos finished as Runners Up in 2007, 2013, 2014, and 2015.

The top three nations at the AFF Futsal Championship 2022 will secure qualification for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2022, which will be held in Kuwait in September and October this year.

Futsalroos Fixture | AFF Futsal Championship 2022

April 4, vs Timor Leste, 4.00pm AEST / 1.00pm Local

April 5, vs Myanmar, 2.00pm AEDT / 11.00am Local

April 6, vs Vietnam, 2.00pm AEDT / 11.00am Local

April 8, Semi Finals

April 10, Finals

Futsalroos Squad | AFF Futsal Championship 2022 | Bangkok, Thailand (alphabetical order)