Tehran: Iran came from a goal down to defeat a Laos side that made the AFC U-16 Championship hosts work hard for the 3-1 victory in their Group A opener on Saturday.

Anousay Noyvong stunned the hosts when he put the South East Asians one-up with just two minutes on the PAS Stadium clock but Iran quickly gained the ascendancy with Amirmohammad Mazloum bagging a brace with goals either side of a Seyedmajid Hosseini effort after his initial spot-kick had been saved.

Iran, champions in 2008 and runners-up in 2000 in Vietnam, where the clear favourites going into Saturday’s second Group A fixture following Kuwait’s 1-1 draw with Yemen, but remarkably it was Laos that took the lead after just two minutes played through midfielder Anousay Noyvong.

However, parity was restored in the 17th minute when Amirmohammad Mazloum equalised at the second time of asking after Vathana Keodouangdeth had saved his initial effort.

The luckless Laotian was beaten again two minutes later when Seyedmajid Hosseini drilled home the rebound after Vathana had blocked the Iran skipper’s 19th minute penalty, awarded after midfielder Mohammadreza Bazaj was fouled in the box.

Iran were in the ascendancy but couldn’t add to their tally in the remainder of the first-half but just two minutes after the interval Mazloum got his second and the tournament hosts third as Ali Doustimehr’s side continued to assert their authority.

Iran dominated possession and with 15 minutes remaining Saeid Ezatolahi’s bullet header drew a fine reflex save from Vathana before Sasan Jafari headed wide from the resultant corner.

The pattern of the game continued but the earlier exertions of the players started taking their toll with numerous misplaced passes and mistimed tackles as Iran emerged with the three points that took them to the top of the Group A table after the first round of matches.

Iran coach Ali Doustimehr : ” think that we have the potential to be champions of this tournament.”

  Ali Doustimehr is confident that the 2012 AFC U-16 Championship hosts will get better as the tournament goes on following their sluggish start in their 3-1 win over Laos on Saturday.

Iran went into the match as favourites but the two-time U16 champions made heavy weather of their Group A opener, with Laos taking a shock second minute lead through Anousay Noyvong before the hosts quickly gained the ascendancy with Amirmohammad Mazloum bagging a brace with goals either side of a Seyedmajid Hosseini effort after his initial spot-kick had been saved.

The early goal stunned the home crowd at the PAS Stadium but Doustimehr brushed off the early setback as part-and-parcel of the game.

“This is the excitement of football. We lost the early goal but we didn’t lose our concentration,” the Iran coach said at the post-match press conference.

“I said before that the game against Laos would be very tough as it is the first game and the first game of every tournament is always difficult.

“I must say sorry to all the supports and the media who came to the stadium because we didn’t play at the level of champions.

“But hopefully we will get better game by game and I think that we have the potential to be champions of this tournament.”

Laos gave a brave account of themselves despite being under the Iranian cosh for the majority of the match and despite citing a number of logistical setbacks that effected the build-up to their Group A opener Laos’ North Korean coach Han Hyung-il was magnanimous in defeat.

“Our players’ technique is not as good as the Iranians,” he admitted.

“Nobody wants to lose and we will do our best in the remaining two matches.”

Source: the-Afc.com