Zakirov to coach Maldives at China international futsal tournament

Coach Farooq Zakirov will guide the Maldives national futsal team at the China international futsal tournament, according to information received by One Sports. Zakirov, who led the Maldives to success at the SAFF Futsal Championship and helped the team claim the regional futsal title, has now reached an agreement to return as coach, One Sports reported. He will join the team in China when the squad travels for the tournament, as he is currently engaged in other work. The national team is already practising according to his guidance. The national futsal team has begun preparations for the China tournament. FAM said the competition will feature Maldives, China, South Korea and Hong Kong. The tournament will be held at the Lingwu Sports Center in Yinchuan, China. Maldives' first match will be against South Korea on November 5, followed by a match against Hong Kong on November 7. Maldives will face China on November 9. Zakirov has previously served as coach of the Uzbekistan national women's futsal team. Before that, he worked as coach of Uzbekistan's Nefchi futsal club. Last year was also the most successful year in Maldives futsal history. Maldives won the first futsal championship organised by SAFF by defeating all countries in the region. Maldives beat India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh in that tournament.