In a close encounter today, Iran’s U20 national football team battled Uzbekistan U20 to a 1-1 draw at Kormanbek Stadium in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan. This result secures Iran’s position as the first team to qualify for the CAFA U20 finals from Group B.

Dramatic Match with Sending Off and Coaching Decisions

The match, which kicked off at 3:00 PM Tehran time, saw Ali Hosni net the crucial goal for Iran. The goal was initially called offside but after a very lengthy delay by VAR it was accepted for Iran to take the lead.

Uzbekistan scored the equalizer through a penalty kick.

Head coach Hossein Abdi opted for a starting lineup featuring:

Arsha Shakuri in goal, a backline of Hossam Nafri, Ali Hosni, and Seyed Mahdi Mahdavi, and midfielders Sina Moazzami Tabar (substituted by Yaqub Barageh at halftime and Samir Hobobati in added time), Alireza Homaeifard, Amirmohammed Razzaq Nia, and Mahan Sadeghi (57′ Yosef Mazarah). Ismail Gholizadeh , Abolfazl Zamani ( 86′ Mobin Dehqan) Reza Ghandipour (57 Mohammed Asgari )

The match took a dramatic turn in the 71st minute when Gholizadeh received a direct red card from the referee. This decision, along with several others throughout the game, sparked protests from both benches.

Despite the Draw, Iran Advances

Despite the challenging circumstances, Iran’s U20 team managed to hold on for the draw and secure their place in the CAFA U20 finals with four points from their group-stage matches. The team’s determination and resilience will be crucial as they prepare for the Finals.