Uzbekistan come into the tournament aiming to make an impact under head coach Farrukh Zakirov, who has had to manage several squad adjustments in the lead-up to the competition.

“We have some injured players, especially our goalkeeper Sevara Nurullaeva, but the rest are available for this competition,” said Zakirov. “Chinese Taipei are a good team. They have a strong side with a good coach.”

“Uzbekistan futsal is still developing. Most of our players were selected from football clubs. Some have been with the national futsal team for a few years, while others are new.

“However, a women’s futsal league will be launched soon, which would allow players to focus on futsal. I hope this will be a boost for the development of women’s futsal in our country.”

Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, arrived in Hohhot with confidence following a strong showing in the Qualifiers, where they finished runners-up in their group following a disciplined and energetic playing style.

Head coach Hsieh Li-Chuan will want the same consistency from his team as they target a place in the knockout rounds.