Ravankhah named Iran U23 head coach
Former Esteghlal midfielder Omidreza Ravankhah was appointed as the head coach of the Iranian under-23 national football team, the national governing body of the sport confirmed.
An ex-manager at several lower-league clubs since 2017, Ravankhah, 39, was last in charge of Havadar, where he took over midway through the Persian Gulf Pro League season in December, but could not save his side from relegation to the second division despite a late surge in the campaign.
The Iranian under-23 role had been vacant since Reza Enayati parted ways with the Iranian federation following a last-eight 1-0 defeat against Hong Kong at the Asian Games in September 2023.
Ravankhah will begin his reign with the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers in September.
Iran is pitted against Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Guam in Group I of the qualifiers.
Iran will face Hong Kong in the group opener in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 3, before taking on Guam (Sept. 6), and the UAE (Sept. 9).
The top teams of the 11 groups will be joined by four best runner-up sides at the 2026 finals in Saudi Arabia.