Tag: Tashkent

Uzbekistan vs. Iran another draw!

Tashkent: Uzbekistan and Iran settled for a goalless draw in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Group A tie on Thursday.

The Central Asian derby saw Iran going down to 10 men in the second half following Saleh Hardani’s sending off but there was to be no winner in the evenly-matched contest as the two sides moved up to seven points.

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With the teams having met in the second round of the qualifiers, the match began on a cagey note as they sized each other up with half chances the best either side could manage in the opening 45 minutes. 

Shojae Khalilzadeh had a backwards header that proved to be a routine catch for Utkir Yusupov before Jaloliddin Masharipov’s penalty appeal was waved away by referee Shaun Evans, very little was created with both sides matching up each other well.

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Forward Mehdi Taremi and Eldor Shomurodov, who both play their club football in Italy, had a subdued first half with neither seeing much of the ball. 

The match took a turn in the 57th minute after Evans referred to the pitchside monitor, which led to a straight red card for Hardani for a studs up challenge on Shomurodov.

Uzbekistan seized the opportunity to increase their tempo with two chances just after the hour mark, Abbosbek Fayzullaev dragging his shot just wide before Masharipov ballooned his attempt over the bar after being teed up by Shomurodov.

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Pinned in their own half, Iran were forced to switch to a long ball approach with one such punt forward in the 72nd minute finding Sardar Azmoun who managed to toe poke the ball at goal but Yusupov was alert to the danger.

There was drama in stoppage time when Evans awarded a penalty to Iran after the ball seemed to have struck Rustamjon Ashurmatov’s hand but upon a VAR review, the decision was reversed as the sides shared the spoils.

Uzbekistan will host the United Arab Emirates next on Tuesday while Iran will meet Qatar. 

Ghalenoei “I don’t accept we have defensive weaknesses”

The head coach of Iran’s national football team, Amir Ghalenoei, will be the guest of the Uzbekistan national football team in Tashkent, with the match set to kick off at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday). This will be the third match for both teams in the final qualifying stage of the 2026 World Cup.

During a pre-match press conference today (Wednesday), Ghalenoei expressed his pleasure at being in Uzbekistan once again. He extended his best wishes to Mr. Katanec, the head coach of the Uzbekistan team, for a speedy recovery from his recent ailment, hoping that his health issues will be resolved soon. Addressing the critics who believed Iran was placed in an easy group, Ghalenoei emphasized, “Tomorrow is a very difficult game for both teams. First of all, I hope to see a game that the fans will enjoy. We know that Uzbekistan is hardworking and plays with a football plan, but we are also Iran and we are near an ideal conditions.”

Ghalenoei highlighted the competitive nature of their group, noting that both teams have accumulated 6 points, which underscores the tough schedule they face. “This is a tough group, but some people thought we have an easy group. Two teams have got maximum points. I don’t want to talk about my tactical plans,” he said. He continued by urging his players to capitalize on the opportunities they create, referencing past matches against Kyrgyzstan and the UAE where they had chances to score more goals but were careless. “We will not allow such carelessness tomorrow. Both teams have positions, but the successful team is the one that has the necessary focus and uses its tactical tasks.”

In response to a question about the venue of Iran’s game against Qatar, Ghalenoei redirected the focus to the upcoming match against Uzbekistan. “I hope that only the question about the game against Uzbekistan will be asked and let you be our focus for tomorrow’s game. The great country of Iran is one of the best countries in the world and Iran is also one of the safest countries in the world,” he stated. He also mentioned that several elite Asian competitions have been held in Iran without incident, and they traveled to Tashkent from Tehran without any issues. “Let’s talk about the venue of the match with Qatar later and now focus on tomorrow’s game.”

Addressing concerns about Iran’s defensive vulnerabilities, Ghalenoei firmly disagreed with the notion of a defensive weakness. “If you pay attention, we kept a clean sheet in the last two games, unlike other teams, so I don’t accept your question. We are the only team in this group that has not conceded a goal. We had a clean sheet in the previous game against Uzbekistan. So we are working well in the defensive structure. Uzbekistan also has good players in the attack line, but we have a plan for them.”

Ghalenoei acknowledged the unpredictable nature of football, stating, “It’s football and a thousand things happen, but our team is ready to play in every way and we are waiting for a good game to get three points, but the result is in God’s hands. It is not right to speculate in football.” He responded to the Uzbeks’ defiant chanting by emphasizing that football is about effort and making the audience enjoy the game, with the result being a separate matter.

He concluded by expressing his happiness about the formation of the CAFA association, predicting that its member countries will become a significant force in Asian football. “Several teams reached the final stages of the AFC Asian Cup 2023. We are happy that we took part in the first CAFA Nations Cup and won the championship title, and we also beat Uzbekistan and kept a clean sheet,” he added.

Uzbekistan vs Iran: AFC Asian Qualifiers Showdown

Tashkent: Uzbekistan will aim to get it right when they host Iran in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to FIFA World Cup 26 on Thursday.

Both teams are tied on six points after opening their campaigns with two wins, with Uzbekistan leading the standings on goal difference.

Srecko Katanec’s Uzbekistan will be determined to avoid a slow start, having had to come from behind to force a 2-2 draw the last time the two teams met in Tashkent in the the Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

The reverse fixture ended in a goalless draw with Iran going on to top the group but Uzbekistan, seeking to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time, will be determined to maximise home ground advantage this time around.

Their opening wins mean both have a three-point lead over the United Arab Emirates and another three points on Thursday will be a tremendous boost to their qualification hopes – with the top two sides to earn automatic qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Katanec has named a strong squad for the matches against Iran and UAE, which follows on Tuesday, and Uzbekistan will know that they will be well on course to book their ticket to the global showpiece if they take all six points.

Iran, however, will have similar designs as they seek a fourth consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup.

While not at their free-flowing best against Kyrgyz Republic and UAE, the Central Asian side secured 1-0 wins and will be focused on winning, rather than performance, against Uzbekistan and Qatar, their Matchday Four opponents.

Amir Ghalenoei has named an impressive looking squad, with the likes of Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun to lead their attack.

Taremi has been making regular appearances for Italian side Inter Milan while Azmoun has settled in well at the UAE Pro League side Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai, with the striker already on five goals five matches into the season.

Uzbekistan v IR Iran

Venue: Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent

Kick-off: Thursday, 19:00 (UTC+5)

Amir Ghalenoei Announces Team Melli Squad for FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Amir Ghalenoei has announced Team Melli’s squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, with an away match against Uzbekistan and a home game against Qatar. Alongside familiar names, Ghalenoei has introduced two new, unfamiliar faces as part of his ongoing project to inject younger talent into the squad.

Notable Absentees

The squad will be missing one key player due to injury while some others due to strategic decisions. Hossein Kanani is sidelined with an injury, and three senior players—Ehsan Hajsafy, Karim Ansarifard, and Ramin Rezaeian—have been excluded from the team. This marks a significant shift as Ghalenoei looks to build a more dynamic and youthful team. It seems that the three senior players are destined to retire from Team Melli.

Rising Star: Mohammad Mahdi Zare

One of the most notable inclusions is Mohammad Mahdi Zare, a 21-year-old, 192 cm tall defender from Gol Gohar Sirjan Club. Zare has been a standout performer this season, seizing the opportunity presented by Masih Zahedi’s injury. Despite only sitting on the bench for the first game in a 1-0 defeat, Zare has since been a crucial part of a defensive line that has conceded only one goal in the subsequent five matches.

The list includes the welcome return of Mohammad Mohebbi after a long period of absence due to injury that disrupted his excellent performance with the Russian Club FC Rostov.

Strategic Decisions and Future Prospects

While it is unlikely that Ghalenoei will field Zare in the challenging matches against Uzbekistan and Qatar, the young defender’s inclusion in the squad is seen as a valuable opportunity for him to gain experience and prepare for future competitions. Ghalenoei’s strategy of integrating younger players is aimed at ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of Team Melli.

As Team Melli prepares for these crucial qualifiers, the blend of experienced players and emerging talents like Zare reflects Ghalenoei’s vision for a balanced and competitive team. The upcoming matches will not only test the team’s current capabilities but also provide a glimpse into the future of Iranian football.

THE SQUAD

No.PostPlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
1GKAlireza Beiranvand21 September 1992 (age 32)730 Tractor
12GKPayam Niazmand6 April 1995 (age 29)90 Sepahan
22GKHossein Hosseini30 June 1992 (age 32)110 Esteghlal
2DFSaleh Hardani26 December 1998 (age 25)80 Sepahan
4DFShojae Khalilzadeh14 May 1989 (age 35)442 Tractor
5DFMilad Mohammadi29 September 1993 (age 31)631 Persepolis
15DFAmin Hazbavi6 May 2003 (age 21)30 Sepahan
18DFAbolfazl Jalali26 June 1998 (age 26)60 Esteghlal
23DFAria Yousefi22 April 2002 (age 22)40 Sepahan
24DFAli Nemati7 February 1996 (age 28)00 Foolad Khuzestan
DFMohammad Daneshgar24 January 1994 (age 30)20 Sepahan
DFMehdi Zare25 January 2003 (age 21)00 Gol Gohar Sirjan
3MFMohammad Ghorbani21 May 2001 (age 23)40 Orenburg
6MFSaeid Ezatolahi1 October 1996 (age 28)701 Shabab Al Ahli
7MFAlireza Jahanbakhsh11 August 1993 (age 31)8617Free agent
10MFMehdi Ghayedi5 December 1998 (age 25)218 Ittihad Kalba
11MFAli Gholizadeh10 March 1996 (age 28)386 Lech Poznań
14MFSaman Ghoddos6 September 1993 (age 31)543 Ittihad Kalba
16MFMehdi Torabi10 September 1994 (age 30)517 Tractor
17MFMohammad Karimi20 June 1996 (age 28)40 Sepahan
21MFOmid Noorafkan9 April 1997 (age 27)241 Malavan
MFMohammad Mohebi20 December 1998 (age 25)236 Rostov
MFAmirhossein Hosseinzadeh30 October 2000 (age 23)30 Tractor
MFJavad Hosseinnejad26 June 2003 (age 21)20 FC Dynamo Makhachkala
9FWMehdi Taremi18 July 1992 (age 32)8751 Inter Milan
19FWShahriyar Moghanlou21 December 1994 (age 29)112 Ittihad Kalba
20FWSardar Azmoun1 January 1995 (age 29)8553 Shabab Al Ahli

Uzbekistan to host Team Melli in Tashkent

the-afc.com

Tashkent: Uzbekistan will play Iran on Tuesday in a meeting between two sides looking to establish an early advantage in Group E of the Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

Both opened their campaigns with resounding wins on Thursday while Hong Kong, China, and Turkmenistan will square off needing the points. 

Iran, seeking to qualify for a fourth consecutive FIFA World Cup, were in a class of their own against Hong Kong at the Azadi Stadium on Matchday One.

Sardar Azmoun led the way with a brace as Iran staked an early claim on a spot in the next round.

Uzbekistan were equally impressive, defeating Central Asian rivals Turkmenistan away as they started their campaign to make the third round after missing out on the same stage for the 2022 edition. 

Hong Kong will hope home comforts will carry them past Turkmenistan as the East Asian side look to maintain their recent momentum which saw them returning to the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 1968 and qualifying for the Asian Games semi-finals for the first time.

Turkmenistan, however, will be equally desperate to get points on the board and home advantage may not be enough for Hong Kong. 

Tuesday’s fixtures
Hong Kong, China v Turkmenistan
Venue: Hong Kong Stadium (Hong Kong)
Kick-off: 20:00 (UTC+8)

Uzbekistan v Iran
Venue: Bunyodkor Stadium (Tashkent)
Kick-off: 18:00 (UTC+5)

Russia withdraws from CAFA tournament

Earlier this week it was announced that the Russian national football team has accepted CAFA’s invitation to participate in the first Central Asian Football Associations tournament in June of this year as a guest, with the presence of Central Asian teams, including Iran, but the Russians suddenly changed their minds.

The Russian Football Federation announced that this country will not participate in CAFFA. Today, “Valery Karpin”, the head coach of the Russian national football team, in an interview with the TASS news agency, explained the reason behind the withdrawal of this country’s team from CAFA after initially agreeing to attend. Karpin said that “the playing surface, the timing, and the weather conditions were the reasons for this decision.

Karpin said: There are several reasons. The first is the time of holding competitions. On June 11, the final of the National Cup will be held, and the decision to participate in the tournament should have been made in advance. The head coach of Russia added: You also have to consider the conditions of the competition. The tournament is in Tashkent or Bishkek. It is clear that the air temperature is above 30 degrees Celsius. I want to remind you that in Bishkek there is an artificial grass pitch where the risk of injury increases significantly. For example, after the game in Bishkek last fall, five players of the Russian national team could not participate in the next game.

In response to critics saying that the decision to withdraw from CAFA was wrong because Russia does not have many choices to play the preparation game on FIFA Day, he said: “Yes, our choices are not really great, but this does not mean that we sacrifice the health of the players and the opportunity to spend vacations. be completely deprived of them. Moreover, this is not an official tournament, but a friendly tournament. If participating in competitions is part of the preparation for official competitions, it may be worth the risk.”

The head coach of the Russian national team emphasized the future plans of the team: “The officials of our federation will do their best to hold friendly games in the next windows of the International Football Federation (FIFA) calendar, including in June. We hope that the negotiations will bear fruit and we will be able to hold a full preparation camp with a couple of matches. Ideally in Russia and with our fans.” According to Mehr’s reporter, Iran’s national football team hoped to be in this competition with the presence of Russia and experience some serious tests. Now, with the withdrawal of the Russians, it is not clear whether Team Melli will go to Kyrgyzstan or not. In his latest interview, the head coach of Iran’s national team, Amir Ghalenoei, said that participation in CAFA is conditional on holding a meeting with Mehdi Taj, the president of the Football Federation.

Meanwhile, some Russian football experts are already critical of the Russian decision to withdraw, with some sarcastic remarks about Karpin’s reasoning. especially about the temperature of 30 degrees C. It seems that Karpin’s players are built for arctic weather football only and will melt in the temperatures of 30 degrees.”

Valery Ovchinikov, a former Russian player and coach, was also critical of the decision and commented by accusing the Russian team of being afraid of possible defeat against Asian teams. Ovchinikov said: “The weather is a good excuse not to participate inCAFA. We don’t play in the summer. We are used to the cold! He continued sarcastically: The Russian Football Federation probably thinks that our football is played by the Chukchi people (indigenous people of Russia who are close to Siberia). We mustn’t go to the racetrack in the summer or we’ll melt!”

Iran’s youth final preparation for the AFC U20 Asian Cup.

The AFC U20 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2023 will start on the first of March 2023, with Iran grouped with Qatar, Australia, and Vietnam in Group B of the competition. The matches will be played in Tashkent and Fergana. Javanan Team (Iran U20) will have its final practice game this afternoon in Tehran against the Pas team.

Iran’s U20 is currently coached by Samad Marfavi who has coached at several club levels including Esteghlal. The Team will be flying directly to Fergana, the venue of the first match versus Qatar on a chartered flight thus avoiding commercial flights which would have taken the squad 23 hours to reach Fergana.

Group B

Qatar, Australia, Vietnam, Iran

This group looks like another tough-looking group that has two former winners in Iran and Qatar, 2010 runners-up Australia and 2016 semi-finalists Vietnam.

Qatar were perfect in Group B of the Qualifiers as they cruised to wins over Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Bahrain, scoring 14 goals and conceding just once.

Iran were equally impressive, topping Group J with nine points while Australia didn’t put a foot wrong either in Group H, also registering three wins.

Vietnam are the odd ones out, sealing their place in the Finals as among the five best runners-up after finishing second in Group F.

The Southeast Asian side, however, have become a force to be reckoned with at all age-group levels, and fans can rest assured there will be no easy matches in Group B.

MATCHES SCHEDULE
Wednesday, 1 March 2023 – 19:00 Istiqlol Stadium, Fergana
Qatar Iran
Saturday, 4 March 2023 – 15:00 Istiqlol Stadium, Fergana
Iran Australia
1 March 2023
Tuesday, 7 March 2023 – 15:00 JAR Stadium, Tashkent
Vietnam Iran
Iran won this championship 4 times in a row in 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976. After the revolution, Iran has failed to win any titles and the drought at the youth level is now at a staggering 47 years!!
Lack of resources, poor preparations, sub-standard organization, and Iranian coaches’ standards have been the Achilles’ heel of Iran’s youth football.
Samad Marfavi, like many other Iranian coaches, has stagnated and lacks knowledge of modern football. The failure of the football federation to prepare a cadre of good domestic ex-footballers to turn into quality coaches by sending them abroad for quality education and coaching seminars has limited the success of Iranian caches. Much of the success of the youth teams evidently is due o individual performances rather than teamwork and quality coaching.
CHANCES OF QUALIFICATION
While at this level, the standards of teams are quite close and predictions are difficult, Iran U20 has as good a chance as any of the teams. The physicality of the Iranian players is always a strong point, but the Qatari and Australian teams benefit from quality coaching and long-term career development by their respective football associations, something that the Iranian side lacks in earnest.
This group is a tight call. Iran players need to be strong mentally as much as physically to navigate through the group round.
THE SQUAD 

GK ADIB ZAREI (Shahin Bushehr)
GK MOHAMMAD KHALIFEH (Persepolis)
GK MOHAMMADSADEGH SALEHI (Sepahan)

DF ALIAKBAR RANJBAR (Peykan)
DF ALI REZA SAADIPOUR (Fajr Sepasi)
DF AMIN PILALI (Kia)
DF FARZIN MOAMELEHGARI (Iman Sabz Shiraz)
DF MAHDI JAVID MEHREH (Sepid Roud Rasht)
DF MERSAD SEIFI (Nassaji Ghaemshahr)
DF MILAD KOR (Tractor)
DF MOHAMMAD AMIN HAZBAVI (Foolad Khuzestan)


MF ABBAS SHARAFI (GolGohar Sirjan)
MF AHMADREZA MOUSAVI (Sepahan)
MF AMIRREZA ESLAMTALAB (Kia)
MF ARSHIA SARSHOGH (Sepahan)
MF FARHAD ZAVOSHI (Havadar)
MF HOSSEIN HAJIZADEH (Persepolis)
MF MIRMOHAMMADREZA TORABI (Esteghlal)
MF MOHAMMADJAVAD HOSSEINNEZHAD (Sepahan)
MF MOJTABA FAKHRIAN (Aluminium Arak)

FW AMIR EBRAHIMZADEH (Tractor)
FW ERFAN GHORBANI (Kia)
FW SAEID SAHARKHIZAN (Havadar)

Embarrassing loss to Turkmenistan in AFC U23 Asian Cup

Mehdi Mahadavikia was observed wondering why on earth he took this unwanted and unpopular job while watching his players’ desperate attempt to equalize in the dying minutes of the match while Turkmenistan was leading 2-1 against his 10 men team.

It was clear that the head coach of Iran’s Omid Team was not stunned by the result, perhaps knowing his players’ capabilities, it was not a great surprise for him or, he is a brave coach who has not lost hope and seriously think they can do it. In both cases, Omid Team was far from a convincing team. It lacks the capacity and skills to make itself count amongst the Asian elites. The team was defeated and once again has to resort to prayers in order to qualify out of the group with one match left against the strongest team in the group.

Omid team in fact started quite well and scored early through Alireza Bavieh, a player that later will become a villain and who was one of the reasons for the team’s downfall due to his utter idiocy.

Ball distribution was immaculate as Mahdavikia’s boys controlled the game and most of the time was spent in Turkmenistan’s half. But teams don’t win matches based on ball possessions. The Forward line was ineffective and toothless. Turkmenistan keeper hardly had to make a save in anger since he picked up the ball from his net early in the first half.

The more the Iranians attacked the easier the Turkmen defended with confidence. Omid Team’s finishing was atrocious as the players were both slow in pace and thinking. They missed the target more often than not. The performance was marred by players failing to take the right options, simple passes, lack of focus, and general lack of pac. The team looked quite amateurish at times and it hardly threatened the opposition.

On the other hand, the defense and the keeper of Iran’s U23 team were shakey. Every time the Turkmen attacked they created havoc in the Omid defense. The lack of confidence and coordination was evident when a silly uncalled-for penalty was conceded in which Turkmenistan scored the equalizer.

After that, the Omid team was on a downhill path. It was sad and pathetic to witness Iran’s team trying to cheat by diving against a team like Turkmenistan, seriously sad moment for Iranian football.

And then came that most stupid of acts by the goals scorer Alireza Bavieh whose wild tackle in the middle of the field while the Turkmen player posed no threat whatsoever against Iran’s goal. Bavvieh’s tackle was high and dangerous. He received his marching order for Iran to continue with 10 players.

A brilliant goal from Turkmenistan sealed that match as Mahdivika’s team lost 2-1 and therefore requires a miracle to qualify from the group. A miracle, hopes and prayers are something we are by now used to at this level of Iranian football.

AFC U23 : Iran-Turkmenistan match preview

After settling for a point against Qatar on Matchday One, head coach Mehdi Mahdavikia wants Iran to improve their sharpness in front of the goal after mustering only three shots on target from a total of 14. In a performance that was more worrying than encouraging, the Omid Team (U23) lacked sharpness, and finishing touch in a performance marred by fundamental defensive errors. A better team than Qatar would have inflicted some damage on Team Melli.
“My players had a lot of opportunities in our opening game against Qatar but we couldn’t convert our chances and this is a problem,” said Mahdavikia. “We lost two points even though we were the better team in terms of possession. After conceding late in the second half, we managed to salvage a point and we must do better against Turkmenistan.”
The former Iran International stressed his team must remain focused on Turkmenistan as the three points are crucial.
A failure to win the 3 points will put the Iran U23 team in a difficult position as they are going to face group leader and host Uzbekistan in their final group match.
“The game against Qatar is finished now and we must stay completely focused on the next match. We started our recovery and we are looking forward to getting the three points against Turkmenistan. We respect all teams, but we need to get the three points against them.”
Meanwhile, Ahmet Agamyradow’s Turkmenistan faces another litmus test when they meet Iran in their AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Uzbekistan 2022 Group A tie on Saturday.
Turkmenistan, who are appearing in the AFC U23 Asian Cup for the first time, held their own against hosts Uzbekistan on Matchday One but were undone by a penalty as they fell to a 1-0 defeat.
Agamyradow, while satisfied with his players’ performance against Uzbekistan, admitted they have to be smarter in decision-making during matches moving forward.

“We made one mistake during a set-piece situation and that caused us the game,” said Agamyradow. “This is football and now we have to switch our attention to our next opponents. In our opening match against Uzbekistan, we used up plenty of energy to defend and we lacked ball control in certain situations.”
Turkmenistan almost equalized in added time with Muhammadqodir Khamraliev sending his free-kick just wide and Agamyradow wants his players to have the same fighting mentality against Iran.
“I was very happy with how my players responded when we were trailing by a goal. They showed determination and almost scored in the end with the set-piece situation. I want my team to play with the same intensity as they did against Uzbekistan.
“It’s the first time we are playing in the AFC U23 Asian Cup and to start off with a defeat is difficult for any team. We had a day’s rest and will regroup for our next match against Iran.”
Turkmenistan v IR Iran
Venue: Bunyodkor Stadium (Tashkent)
Kick-off: 18:00 (UTC +5)

Asian U23 Asian Cup 2022: Iran vs Qatar preview

Tashkent: Islamic Republic of Iran and Qatar have promised their best when they kick off their AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Uzbekistan 2022 Group A campaign on Wednesday.
The Bunyodkor Stadium will feature a tie between two teams who have made it past the group stage in previous editions, and both head coaches are aiming to secure an early advantage in a tough group that also includes 2018 champions Uzbekistan and debutants Turkmenistan.

MATCH PREVIEW

IR Iran   v   Qatar
AFC U23 Asian Cup
KO
Wednesday 1 June 2022 14:00
Venue: Milliy Stadion
Head coach Mehdi Mahdavikia has named a squad with an average age of just 21, but the legendary former Team Melli defender is confident the youngsters can step up to the plate.

“We are here with a very young team but with big goals,” said Mahdavikia. “This will be a great experience for us. There are a lot of difficult teams in our group, but we will do our best to have the best results.

“We have the tournament hosts Uzbekistan, a powerful team in Qatar and a respected team in Turkmenistan. We respect all our rivals, but we want to have the best results in the group.”
Mahdavikia will be missing several players who impressed in the Qualifiers, goalkeeper Alireza Rezaei among them, but the coach doesn’t believe this has weakened his side.

“We don’t have any problems, we have many talented players in all the positions. We believe in them and that they can achieve our goals.”

#AFCU23 | Know Your Group A Teams : IR IRAN

The likes of Almoez Ali and Akram Afif first impressed in the 2018 AFC U23 Asian Cup before going on to steer Qatar to the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 title and head coach Nicolas Cordova, who took over the reins from Felix Sanchez, is confident his new generation of players can make their mark as well.
“We know that it’s going to be a tough tournament,” said Chilean Cordova. “The qualification itself was tough. All the teams have the potential to win the tournament.

“We have a good young generation. Still, we have to take into consideration that we’re participating with a younger team than usual, which is part of our long term project to prepare them. I’m sure the future will be the same, where we have good players moving to the national team.”

#AFCU23 | Know Your Group A Teams : QATAR

Cordova said Qatar, who finished third in 2018, had prepared well for the tournament, including having played several friendlies.

“We are generally satisfied with the games (friendlies), because we always look for opportunities to improve and be better. “The teams in this tournament are very good, but it’s about ourselves and competing in our best way.

“We can’t talk about the minimum (target), but the maximum target is to prepare for each game in the best way and to be ready and competitive. If we are well prepared, we can aim to go far.”
Islamic Republic of Iran v Qatar
Venue: Bunyodkor Stadium (Tashkent)
Kick-off: 18:00 (UTC+5)