Tag: Iran U23

05/11/202505/11/2025

Omid Team to play in Kyrgyzstan tournament.

MANAS CUP International Football Tournament will be held in Manas city. The Kyrgyz Football Union (KFU) reported.

The national football team of Kyrgyzstan will also take the field. The matches will be held at Kurmanbek city stadium.

In addition to the host, teams from Bahrain, Iran, and Russia will also participate in the international tournament. All opponents will be represented by U23 Olympic teams.

The players will be 23 years old or younger. All participants in the upcoming games in Osh are preparing for the 2026 AFC Asian Cup final tournament, which will be held in January in Saudi Arabia.

Iran’s Omid Team (U23) will be led by Omid Ravankhah, who has already called 23 players for the squad.
Amir Mehdi Maghsoudi and Aria Shafidoust from (Sepahan),
Arash Mortazavi (Zobahan),
Mohammad Hossein Sadeghi (Persepolis),
Saeed Saharkhizan and Amir Mohammad Razaghinia (Esteghlal),
Afshin Sadeghi, Erfan Jamshidi (Peykan),
Hojjat Ahmadi (Esteghlal Khuzestan),
Arshia Vosoughifar (Fajr Shahid Sepasi),
Farzin Aghagari (Shams Azar),
Hamid Reza Zarooni and Masoud Mohebi (Khyber Khorramabad)
Danial Iri, Abbas Habibi, and Mehdi Jafari (Malvan Bandar Anzali)
Omid Amiri (Nasaji Mazandaran),
Mohammad Khalifa, Seyyed Mehdi Mahdavi, and Bahram Goodarzi (Aluminum Arak),
Alireza Safari (Chador Malo Yazd)
Mohammad Javad HosseinNejad (Dinamo Makhachkala- Russia ) and
Mohammad Mehdi Zare (Akhmat Grozny- Russia).

Matches Schedule

*Iran – Russia; November 11

*Iran – Kyrgyzstan; November 14

*Iran – Bahrain; November 17

09/09/202509/09/2025

Iran U23 Secures Victory and Qualification in Hard-Fought Match Against UAE

ABU DHABI – Iran’s U23 national team secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory against host nation UAE on Tuesday in their final Group I match of the AFC Asian U23 Cup qualifiers. The win at Al Nahayan Stadium ensured Team Omid finished as group leaders, earning automatic qualification for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 in Saudi Arabia.

The match began with Iran displaying tactical discipline and composure, dominating possession through a strategy built on short passing combinations complemented by strategic long balls to the flanks. Despite concerns about the sweltering heat and high humidity affecting the players accustomed to Iran’s milder climate, coach Omid Ravankhah’s side implemented a smart game plan that managed the tempo effectively.

The first half showcased Iran’s offensive prowess with three well-executed goals. The scoring opened in the 25th minute with a strike from Razzaghnia who easily slotted the ball home from the goalkeeper’s rebound ball, followed by Saeid Saharkhizan doubling the lead in the 36th minute. Saharkhizan added his second goal from the penalty spot in the 42nd minute, seemingly putting Iran in complete control. UAE managed to pull one back just before halftime with Majed Al Kass finding the net in stoppage time (45+3).

Midfielder Javad Hosseinnejad delivered a majestic performance, controlling the game with his technical quality, vision, and precise passing. His influence was particularly evident in the second goal, where his immaculate free-kick delivery found Saharkhizan for a clinical finish.

The second half saw a shift in momentum following Hosseinnejad’s substitution, which proved to be the match’s turning point. Emboldened by the absence of Iran’s midfield orchestrator, UAE increased their pressure and dominated possession, testing Iran’s defensive resilience.

While UAE’s finishing often lacked precision, Iran’s defense remained largely organized until a costly error by Pouria Latifi-Far in the penalty area allowed UAE forward , Al-Mansoori , to rob the ball from him and capitalize to score the host’s second goal, setting up a tense finale.

Despite increased pressure from the Emiratis, Iran regrouped and created several scoring opportunities, with the UAE goalkeeper making exceptional saves to deny Saharkhizan his hat-trick and keep his team in contention.

In the closing minutes, Iran regained control of the match tempo, demonstrating game management intelligence to secure the narrow victory and confirm their place in the 2026 tournament.

Final Score: UAE 2 – 3 Iran
Goalscorers:
Razzaghnia (25′)
Saeid Saharkhizan (36′, 42′ pen)
Majed Al Kass (45+3′), Mohammed Al-Mansoori (75′)

The victory marks a successful chapter for Iranian Olympic football as Team Omid continues its preparation for next year’s continental showcase in Saudi Arabia.

Starting Lineup: IRAN U23
Mohammad Khalifa, Daniyal Iri, Mohammad Mehdi Zare, Arshia Vosoughifard, Seyyed Mehdi Mahdavi, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, Pouria Latififar, Mohammad Javad Hosseinnejad, Mohammad Hossein Sadeghi, Yadgar Rostami, Saeed Saharkhizan.

03/09/202503/09/2025

Iran’s Omid Team Opens AFC U23 Qualifiers with Commanding 4-0 Win Over Hong Kong

In their opening match of Group I in the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, Iran’s Omid Team secured a comprehensive 4-0 victory against Hong Kong.

The goals for Iran were scored by Mahdi Jaafari, Amir Mohammad Razzaghnia, and a brace from Kasra Taheri.

Iran U23 has been drawn into Group I of the qualifying tournament alongside the UAE, Guam, and Hong Kong. Head coach Omid Ravankhah selected a starting lineup consisting of Mohammad Khalifa, Masoud Mohebbi, Farzin Maqsadagari, Arshia Vosoughifard, Seyed Mehdi Mahdavi, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, Pouria Latififar, Abbas Habibi, Erfan Jamshidi, Yadgar Rostami, and Saeed Saharkhizan.

The two teams had previously met in a warm-up match prior to the tournament, which ended in a 5-1 victory for Iran. This competitive encounter, however, proved more challenging initially.

Iran began the match with dominance, controlling possession and the flow of play. Despite their advantage, Hong Kong’s organized and tight defense limited Iran’s opportunities to create clear-cut chances. The first half concluded with the scoreline locked at 0-0.

Hong Kong’s resilient defense continued into the second half, frustrating the Iranian attackers, who were also hampered by wayward finishing. Midway through the half, Coach Ravankhah made several crucial substitutions, introducing captain Mohammad Javad Hosseinnejad and Kasra Taheri to reinforce the forward line, replacing Saeid Saharkhizan.

The changes invigorated Iran’s attack. The breakthrough finally came in the 69th minute from a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, awarded by the Korean referee. Mahdi Jaafari stepped up and executed a clever shot that left the Hong Kong goalkeeper stranded, putting Iran ahead 1-0 and relieving the growing pressure on the team.

The floodgates opened just three minutes later. A swift run down the left flank breached Hong Kong’s tiring defense, and the resulting cross found Amir Mohammad Razzaghnia, who calmly finished from close range to double Iran’s lead.

Substitute Kasra Taheri then took center stage, sealing the victory with two well-taken goals. His first came in the 83rd minute, and he added another in the second minute of stoppage time (90+2) to complete the 4-0 rout.

The match was played in intense heat, which challenged both sides. For much of the game, it seemed Iran’s superiority might not translate into goals. However, the impactful substitutions by Ravankhah, combined with Hong Kong’s fatigue in the latter stages and a confident finish from the Omid Team, ultimately made the difference.

Iran’s next match will be against Guam.

01/06/2022

Asian U23 Asian Cup 2022: Iran vs Qatar preview

Tashkent: Islamic Republic of Iran and Qatar have promised their best when they kick off their AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Uzbekistan 2022 Group A campaign on Wednesday.

The Bunyodkor Stadium will feature a tie between two teams who have made it past the group stage in previous editions, and both head coaches are aiming to secure an early advantage in a tough group that also includes 2018 champions Uzbekistan and debutants Turkmenistan.

MATCH PREVIEW

IR Iran

Qatar

AFC U23 Asian Cup

KO: Wednesday 1 June 2022 14:00

Venue: Milliy Stadion

Head coach Mehdi Mahdavikia has named a squad with an average age of just 21, but the legendary former Team Melli defender is confident the youngsters can step up to the plate.

“We are here with a very young team but with big goals,” said Mahdavikia. “This will be a great experience for us. There are a lot of difficult teams in our group, but we will do our best to have the best results.

“We have the tournament hosts Uzbekistan, a powerful team in Qatar and a respected team in Turkmenistan. We respect all our rivals, but we want to have the best results in the group.”

Mahdavikia will be missing several players who impressed in the Qualifiers, goalkeeper Alireza Rezaei among them, but the coach doesn’t believe this has weakened his side.

“We don’t have any problems, we have many talented players in all the positions. We believe in them and that they can achieve our goals.”

#AFCU23 | Know Your Group A Teams : IR IRAN

The likes of Almoez Ali and Akram Afif first impressed in the 2018 AFC U23 Asian Cup before going on to steer Qatar to the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 title and head coach Nicolas Cordova, who took over the reins from Felix Sanchez, is confident his new generation of players can make their mark as well.

“We know that it’s going to be a tough tournament,” said Chilean Cordova. “The qualification itself was tough. All the teams have the potential to win the tournament.

“We have a good young generation. Still, we have to take into consideration that we’re participating with a younger team than usual, which is part of our long term project to prepare them. I’m sure the future will be the same, where we have good players moving to the national team.”

#AFCU23 | Know Your Group A Teams : QATAR

Cordova said Qatar, who finished third in 2018, had prepared well for the tournament, including having played several friendlies.

“We are generally satisfied with the games (friendlies), because we always look for opportunities to improve and be better. “The teams in this tournament are very good, but it’s about ourselves and competing in our best way.

“We can’t talk about the minimum (target), but the maximum target is to prepare for each game in the best way and to be ready and competitive. If we are well prepared, we can aim to go far.”

Islamic Republic of Iran v Qatar
Venue: Bunyodkor Stadium (Tashkent)
Kick-off: 18:00 (UTC+5)

03/01/2016

AFC U23 CHAMPIONSHIP. THE CONTENDERS

IRAN

A long tradition of developing talented youngsters and an impressive performance in Group C of the qualifiers sees Iran head into the AFC U23 Championship as one of the genuine title contenders.

While their qualification campaign did end with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in a top-of-the-table clash, emphatic victories over Nepal (5-0), Palestine (3-0), and Afghanistan (6-0) ensured Iran qualified comfortably for Qatar as one of the five best group runners-up, with their record second only to that of Group G’s second-place finishers Thailand.

Four of those goals came courtesy of the impressive Sardar Azmoun, who has already been in eye-catching form for the senior Iran national team, with the Russia-based forward also scoring four times in the joint qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup and twice during the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia, which included a sublime individual effort against against Qatar.

Meanwhile, Arsalan Motahari has been making his mark as a potential Team Melli star of the future with a standout performance as Iran won the inaugural WAFF (West Asian Football Federation) U-23 Championship, which was also hosted in Qatar.

The Naft Tehran front man, who scored three times in the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers, netted the second goal as Iran defeated Syria 2-0 in the WAFF U-23 final and was also named the tournament’s best player at the regional competition back in October.

Iran’s Group A Fixtures

January 12: Iran v Syria (Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha)

January 15: Iran v Qatar (Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha)

January 18: Iran v China (Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha)

CHINA

After a disappointing debut at the inaugural tournament two years ago, when they finished bottom of their group after three successive defeats, China will be determined to put in a better showing in Qatar after qualifying for the 2016 AFC U23 Championship in impressive fashion.

China kicked-off their qualifying campaign with back-to-back 5-0 victories over Mongolia and Singapore to set up a top-of-the-table clash with Group J hosts Laos, which the ended with a comfortable 3-0 win for the East Asians as Fu Bo’s side departed Vientiane with a 100% record.

China’s 13 qualifying goals were spread throughout the team with five players scoring twice while coach Fu also has at his disposal three squad member who have experience with clubs in Europe namely Zhang Yuning, who signed for Dutch side Vitesse last July, and substitute goalkeeper Yeerjieti Yeerzati and defender Chen Zhechao, who play in the Portuguese lower leagues with Gondomar and Torreense respectively.

04/11/2015

Khakpour announces Omid Team plans.

Mohammad Khakpour, Iran’s U23 (Omid) coach announced his plans for the team from now until January 2016, when Iran will join 15 other finalist in a tough battle to qualify for the Rio De Janeiro Olympics football competition. The final rounds of the qualification for Rio Olympics will be held in Doha, Qatar.

In his briefing with the sport journalist, Khakpour express his gratitude to the clubs who helped the case of Omid team with their timely release of the players for the inaugural WAFF U23 tournament. Khakpour was over joyed by the results achieved in this first tournament of its kind, where Iran’ U23 won the title defeating Syria 2-0 in the final.

“The first order of business in to set up a short camp in UAE, were we were hoping to play against Iraq and Australia. The latter match is 100% confirmed but the Iraq match is yet to be finalized” Khakpour said. “After that we will be going to Turkey foe another short camp followed by a local camp either in Kish Island or in Khuzistan (Ahvaz). We hope that by that time , we will have all our players available for the best preparation of the squad.” Khakpour continued.

The reporters then quizzed Khakpour on several topics including the readiness of Arya Hashemi. Khakpour said that this player will not be fit on time to join the team.

About Iran’s prospect for qualifying to that eluded prize of Olympic Games, Khakpour responded “We should be under no illusion that qualifying to the next round from the group is not an easy task at all. Qatar is the host, China is one of the strongest teams in Asia at that age level, and we have all seen Syria play against us with strength and skill. So, it is not going to be an easy task, but we are not going there to surrender either.”

About his abrupt resignation after winning the WAFF U23 tournament, Mohammad Khakpour admitted his mistake as he particularly apologized for Mohammad Mayeli-Kohan and Habib Kashani for this hasty move. “Both these gentlemen put a lot of faith in me and I let them down. I like to sincerely apologize to them and also to my compatriots for such an act and admit that it was out of emotions and not rational.” the Iranian U23 team coach said. Khakpour also apologized for the media in an unprecedented move! As such , this is a rare occasion that an Iranian coach admits his fault and apologized for it. So, there is still hope left in Iranian coaches!

The head coach of U23 team however, did not conceal his disappointment with Ali Kaffashian and the general lack of support for Omid Team from the federation. Khakpour said that the main reason for his resignation was the one-sided contract that he was offered in which he was held accountable for everything , while it hardly mentioned anything about the federations responsibilities.

2016 AFC U-23 Championship

Qualified teams

The following 16 teams qualified for the final tournament

Team	Qualified as	Appearance	Previous best performance
Qatar	Hosts	1st	Debut
Iraq	Group A winners	2nd	Champions (2013)
Jordan	Group B winners	2nd	Third place (2013)
Saudi Arabia	Group C winners	2nd	Runners-up (2013)
United Arab Emirates	Group D winners	2nd	Quarter-finals (2013)
Syria	Group E winners	2nd	Quarter-finals (2013)
Australia	Group F winners	2nd	Quarter-finals (2013)
North Korea	Group G winners	2nd	Group stage (2013)
South Korea	Group H winners	2nd	Fourth place (2013)
Japan	Group I winners	2nd	Quarter-finals (2013)
China PR	Group J winners	2nd	Group stage (2013)
Thailand	1st best runners-up (Group G)	1st	Debut
Iran	2nd best runners-up (Group C)	2nd	Group stage (2013)
Vietnam	3rd best runners-up (Group I)	1st	Debut
Yemen	4th best runners-up (Group D)	2nd	Group stage (2013)
Uzbekistan	5th best runners-up (Group E)	2nd	Group stage (2013)