Tag: Saeid Saharkhizan

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.

Kasra Taheri stars in Omid Team win vs. Guam

Abu Dhabi: Five second-half goals steered Iran to a comfortable 6-0 win over Guam in their penultimate Group I clash in the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers at the Al Nahyan Stadium on Saturday.

Iran beat Hong Kong, China 4-0 in their opener and will play the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday in what will be a top-of-the-table clash.

Guam 0-6 IR Iran

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Despite dominating ball possession from the start, the Central Asian side only opened accounts in the 42nd minute through Alireza Safari.

Guam, who had no shots on target in the first half, conceded a second goal a minute after the restart when Kasra Taheri put the ball past keeper Josiah Jones.

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Taheri, who came on at the start of the second half, fired home IR Iran’s third in the 74th minute and completed his hat-trick five minutes later.

Saeid Saharkhizan put his name on the scoresheet in the 84th minute, with captain Mohammad Javad Hosseinnezhad completing the scoring in the 90th minute.

Iran U20 qualifies for the quarter-finals in AFC U20 Asian Cup

Fergana -the-afc.com:
Abdolsamad Marfavi praised  Iran’s unwavering mindset after his side advanced to the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ Uzbekistan 2023 quarter-finals following a 3-1 win over Vietnam on Tuesday.
Vietnam’s Khuat Van Khang canceled out Mohammad Hazbavi’s first-half opener but goals from Saeid Saharkhizan and Mohammad Hosseinnezhad sealed Iran the win and top spot in Group B.
Iran came into the tie needing to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Australia on Matchday Two and Marfavi admitted that his side had to endure a very challenging match against their Southeast Asian opponents.

#AFCU20 – Group B| Vietnam (VIE) 1 – 3  Iran (IRN)

“The game against Vietnam was challenging, especially as we also had to face tough opponents like Qatar and Australia,” said Marfavi. “Vietnam were not only tactically good but were also mentally strong.
“However, we knew that we needed to secure three points, and with our team being well-balanced in both offence and defence, we were able to achieve it.”
Throughout the contest at the Istiqlol Stadium, Iran looked the much likelier to score with Marfavi praising his players for being mentally strong in overcoming Vietnam’s counter-attacking threat.
“Our progress in the tournament hinged on securing a victory, as a draw would result in our elimination. We adapted our tactics accordingly even though we were outclassed physically and in individual skill throughout the game. Our resolute mindset enabled us to clinch the triumph.”
Head coach Hoang Anh Tuan was gracious in defeat after seeing his Vietnam side suffer their first defeat in the tournament, which subsequently ended their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
“We must look to the future,” said Hoang. “We did our best but our best wasn’t enough to secure a place in the quarter-finals. Looking ahead, there are many players in the squad who can transition into the senior team.”
“Defender Le Nguyen Hoang, goalkeeper Cao Van Bình, midfielders Nguyen Van Truong and Khuat Van Khang are some of the players who had an exceptional tournament.
“Not forgetting the fans, I want to apologize to all of them as we couldn’t meet their expectations. Congratulations to Iran, who took our place in the last eight.”