The South African men’s Futsal side overturned a 4-1 half-time deficit to beat Italy 7-6 in their opening match of the AMF Futsal World Cup.

South Africa’s AMF Futsal World Cup in Argentina got under way in the early hours of Tuesday morning (SA time) as the side produced a miraculous comeback to pick up their first victory in their first game ever at a Futsal World Cup.

The South Africans trailed heavily at the break, but some tactical changes allowed them to stage a stunning comeback to pick up their maiden victory.

SoccerClub spoke exclusively to the coach of the side, Lee Carter, on what was a magical night for the squad.

‘It was the most electrifying atmosphere,’ said Carter when asked for a recap of the game.

‘Things didn’t go our way in the 1st half, so a few changes were made. We took a lot of structure out of our game and said to them play our way with more freedom. Told them to play like we do in South Africa, hit them with a bit of magic – put the ball between their legs to irritate them.

‘I knew Italy didn’t like to be pressed and it would force them to make mistakes, and it worked. As soon as we started playing with our rhythm, the crowd got on our side and absolutely loved us.

‘It took us ages to get off the court with all the fans wanting photos and autographs etc. The players are happy and have a job to do against Australia tomorrow. If we beat them, we’re into the quarter finals. Our job is to keep them firmly humble and focused on the job ahead,’ he concluded.