TEHRAN – Iran U23 football coach Zlatko Kranjcar is satisfied with the goalless draw against Saudi Arabia in the 2018 Asian Games opener.

On Wednesday, Iran and Saudi Arabia shared the spoils in Group F at the Wibawa Mukti Stadium in Cikarang, Indonesia.

“Saudi Arabia were the better team in the first half but we controlled the game after the halftime. They had two scoring chances in the first half and we were lucky to come away without conceding a goal,” Zlatko Kranjcar said in the post-match news conference.

“We have a difficult task ahead since Saudi Arabia and North Korea have also a chance of qualifying for the next stage. We will have to defeat North Korea and Myanmar to advance to the next stage,” the Croat added.

“We played well-organized against Saudi Arabia and I am satisfied with the character we showed,” Kranjcar concluded.

 Football at the 2018 Asian Games is being held from 14 August to 1 September 2018 in Indonesia.

Iran have a strong legacy in men's soccer, having won gold on four occasions.

Zlatko Kranjcar's footballers will look to end a drought that extends back to 2002.