AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers:
Iran into finals after comeback win against Vietnam
Iran came from behind to defeat hosts Vietnam 3-1 in the AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers in Viet Tri on Sunday, securing a place in next year’s finals in China.
The victory saw Qassem Haddadifar’s side finish second in Group C with six points and qualify as one of the seven best runners-up across the eight groups.
Three goals inside six second-half minutes helped North Korea defeat Palestine 4-0 earlier in the day to complete a clean sweep of three wins and secure top spot in the group.
Having been stunned by two stoppage-time goals in a 2-1 loss to North Korea last time out, Iran looked destined to miss out on the finals when Vietnam took the lead in the 41st minute.
Nguyen Quoc Khanh was played in on goal by Dau Hong Phong and beat Iranian goalkeeper Amirmahdi Maqsoudi with a shot at the near post.
Arian Maali drew Iran level five minutes after the break, finishing off Amirmohammad Karimi’s long throw deep into the penalty area, before two spot kicks from Mahan Beheshti and Abolfazl Zadeh-Attar in the 63rd and 95th minutes completed Iran’s fightback.
“From the first day we entered the competition, our goal was to get the job done in the first two matches, and we would have done so had it not been for the referee’s mistake in ruling out our second goal against North Korea,” said Haddadifar, whose team had opened its campaign with a 2-1 victory over Palestine.
“Vietnam are a very good team with fast and technically gifted players, and they caused us problems with long balls and aerial play, but our substitutions helped us deal with the issue in the second half,” added the Iranian.
Haddadifar also pointed to his team’s limited preparation amid the wartime conditions in the country in recent months.
“Given the circumstances in our country, the Iran U20 team was formed only about two months ago, and I feel many good players were left out of the squad. We had to quickly put together a team for the competition, while we also had fewer training camps than our rivals.
“Thankfully, we were able to bring these quality players together and develop a good understanding and harmony within the team. I am truly grateful to my players and coaching staff for their efforts over the past two months.
“The players behaved very professionally and worked incredibly hard. They have a bright future ahead of them, and I hope they go on to achieve what they deserve.”
Iran are four-time champions of the U20 Asian Cup, with all four titles coming in the 1970s. The team’s best result in the more recent history of the competition, however, came in 2016, when it reached the semifinals before being eliminated by Saudi Arabia.
Iran and North Korea will be joined by hosts China, as well as South Korea, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Japan, Indonesia, Lebanon, Oman, Jordan, India, Thailand and Malaysia in next March’s finals.
The tournament will also serve as the qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA U20 World Cup, with the four semifinalists securing places in the global showpiece in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.