AFC Women’s Asia Cup qualifiers:
‘Beyond expectations’: Jafari hails Iran’s resolve in sensational progress
Head coach Marziyeh Jafari was full of praise for her players after Iran defeated Jordan 2-1 in the final game in Group A of the AFC Women’s Asia Cup qualifiers to advance to next March’s finals in Australia.
Knowing that anything but a victory would have ended their bid for qualification, the Iranian girls rose to the occasion on Saturday, recovering from a shock defeat against Lebanon to beat the in-form host in Amman and leapfrog Jordan on top of the group table on the head-to-head criteria.
Chances were few and far in the first half at the King Abdullah II Stadium, with both sides being denied by the woodwork once, before Sara Didar gave Iran the lead two minutes into the second half.
A tame headed clearance by Jordan was redirected into the box by Afsaneh Chatrenoor, with Negin Zandi nodding the ball down for Didar to slot the ball past goalkeeper Sherin Al Shalabe.
On a perfect record prior to the game, Jordan desperately pushed for an equalizer but was punished on the counter with nine minutes left on the clock, when Zandi surged from the halfway line before doubling Iran’s lead with a composed finish.
It still turned out to be nail-biting closing stages for the Iranian girls, after Fatemeh Ameneh’s header lobbed Iranian goalkeeper Raha Yazdani to find the back of her own net in the 88th minute.
Yazdani produced a heroic save a minute later to deny Jordanian skipper Maysa Jbarah from the edge of the six-yard box, as Iran held on to become the final team to punch the ticket for the 12-team finals.
“I am really happy that we were able to make the hearts of the Iranian people happy. Qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup was not easy,” Jafari said after the game.
“We entered the competition with difficult conditions, intensive camps, logistical restrictions and a lot of psychological pressure, but my players fought with all their might and performed beyond expectations,” added the Iranian, who was only appointed to the job in April.
“The players not only showed high technical quality, but also showed that they are mentally strong and motivated at the level of a great team. This team deserves to be seen.”
Despite a sensational qualification, Jafari still believes much more work needs to be done to ensure Iran will improve on the 2022 group exit when making a second appearance at the flagship continental event.
“This qualification is not the end of the road; it is the beginning of a new chapter. We must have a more detailed plan to have a strong presence in the final stage.
“This team has the capacity to be seen, grow, and compete with Asian powers. I hope the support continues so that we can be a worthy representative of Iranian women’s football in Asia.”
Iran will be joined by host Australia and defending champion China, as well as Japan, South Korea, India, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, the Philippines and three-time champion North Korea in the 21st edition of the Women’s Asia Cup.