Sports News | India U20 Face Stern Iran Test in AFC Qualifiers

Vientiane (Laos), Sep 26 (PTI) India will be looking to iron out the rough edges before facing Iran in their next Group G game of the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers here on Friday.

India put up a good show to register a 4-1 victory against Mongolia in their first Group G match but there is still a lot of work to be done.

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"The last match was a big motivation for our team. I've always maintained that winning the first match of a tournament is crucial, and the boys stuck their heads in and played extremely well against Mongolia," said Ranjan Chaudhuri in a release.

"But we cannot rejoice in the victory just yet. We must immediately begin preparations for the next game. We missed a lot of chances against Mongolia, and that is something we cannot afford against Iran.

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“They are an extremely good side, but we have made our plans according to their game as well. Anything can happen on the day, and with a little luck, our boys can get a good result. The most important thing for us is to play our game well, and come out of the match with our heads held high, with a smile," he said.

While India registered a 4-1 win against Mongolia, Iran trampled hosts Laos 8-0, a result that puts them firmly on top of Group G.

However, Iran head coach Hossein Abdi was wary of India's potential threat.

"India have quality players, many of whom I've seen at the U-17 level in Thailand last year. They play a fast game, have shown a good understanding of football. I think the game has progressed very fast in India recently, and we will see further advances in the future," he said.

"We will give it our best against them, but the most important thing at this level is that the players are safe. It's all about building good human relations and doing well for the country,” said Abdi. 7/21/2024

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)