Khatoon set sights on further progress in Women’s Champions League
Iranian club Bam Khatoon will aim to build on an impressive group-stage run and make a deep run in the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League when the knockout phase gets underway in March.
The 10-time Iranian league champion came from behind to beat Group B host College of Asian Scholars 2-1 last week and finish runner-up to Melbourne City with four points.
The draw for the last eight of the competition is yet to be made, but young Khatoon striker Sara Didar says she and her teammates don’t care who they will face in the next round’s single-legged tie, insisting: “We won’t be satisfied by just a place in the knockout stage.”
“Just to progress from the group stage is not the ceiling of our ambitions. We’ve already set our sights on going further in the knockouts, no matter who our next opponent is going to be. Khatoon players and coaching staff are solely focused on victory in every game and will give their all to achieve that goal,” added the Iranian teenager.
Having won two in two in the preliminary group, Khatoon began its campaign in Thailand with a 2-1 loss to the Australian champion and was left heartbroken by the 1-1 draw against Kaya of the Philippines after conceding the equalizer deep into stoppage time.
“Khatoon players did a great job in Thailand as nobody really expected us to qualify form the group. My players showcased the true potential of the Iranian women. They did themselves and their country proud,” head coach Marziyeh Ja’fari told IRNA.
“The first game against Melbourne City was a really tough one. Australia is a powerhouse in women’s football and Melbourne had nine international players in the squad.
“My players were inexperienced for an international competition, having played only six or seven games abroad over the past four years. they still showed remarkable confidence and delivered a decent performance despite ultimately falling short,” Ja’fari added.
Khatoon’s prolific striker Zahra Qanbari, who scored the 93rd-minute winner against the Thai club, hopes the recent success will help raise the profile of women’s football in Iran.
When asked about her jubilation after the final-day triumph, Qanbari said: “That strike was truly a milestone for Iranian women’s football, as the last-eight berth was a remarkable achievement and a testament to the sport’s significant growth in the country in recent years.”
“Women’s football was largely unknown in Iran before the tournament, with many people unaware of its existence, but I’m sure the latest success will contribute to its publicity among the Iranians.”
The runner-up finish in the group meant Khatoon will face one of Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, South Korea’s Incheon Red Angels, or Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam in the next round.
The semifinals and the final showpiece will be played in a centralized format in May next year.