Iran U21 defeats France ahead of FIVB World Championship
Iran came out on top against France in four sets on Sunday in a friendly game in Jiangmen ahead of the upcoming FIVB Men’s U21 World Championship – starting Thursday in the Chinese city.
Mohammad Mo’menimoqaddam’s boys won the first two sets 25-22 and 25-21, respectively, before France bounced back in the third to win 25-22.
The third set was held in a 15-point format due to time restriction, with Iran claiming a 15-11 victory.
A two-time champion over the past three editions, Iran will begin its title defense in Jiangmen against Kazakhstan in Pool B on the opening day of the competition.
A second outing for Iran will come against Puerto Rico on Aug. 22, followed by games against South Korea – in a repeat of last year’s Asian under-20 final, which Iran won in straight sets – Canada, and Poland.
The top four in each of the four six-team groups will progress to the round of 16.
Iranian head coach Mo’menimoqaddam will be looking to build on a 20-game unbeaten run at the helm, during which the country claimed back-to-back Asian under-20 titles either side of the world U21 crown in 2023 – thanks to a 3-2 victory over Italy in the final showdown in Manama.
Pouria Ariakhah will be the player to watch in the Iranian squad after the prolific opposite delivered an MVP display during the title-winning run at the Asian U20 meet in Indonesia last summer and was part of the national team in the Volleyball Nations League preliminaries in June and July.
Young setter Emran Kookjili, along with middle-blockers Taha Behboudinia and Armin Qelichniazi, were also among the individual award winners at the Asian event and are expected to play integral roles for the Iranian team in Jiangmen again.
Elsewhere in the competition, the host nation will be joined by Egypt, the United States, Thailand, Morocco, and Turkey in Pool A, with four-time champion Brazil, Bulgaria, Czechia, Colombia, Japan, and Cuba completing the lineup in Pool C.
Italy, Argentina, Tunisia, France, Ukraine, and Indonesia will lock horns for a last-16 spot in Pool D.