TEHRAN – Iran basketball coach Mehran Shahintab says that they can start the 2019 FIBA World Cup with a win over Puerto Rico.

Team Melli will play the Caribbean team on Saturday at the Guangzhou Gymnasium in Guangzhou, China.

Iran will also play Tunisia and Spain on Sept. 2 and 4 respectively in Group C.

“Puerto Rico match is very important for us. We know that they are an experienced team but our squad is made up of a mix of young and experienced players. We are optimistic we can defeat them,” Shahintab said.

“All 32 teams participating in the FIBA World Cup are the best teams in the world. We’ve analyzed our opponents in Group C. We have to do our best in the match against Puerto Rico because it’s a must-win game for us,” Iran coach added.

Spain is expected to finish undefeated on the top, and there will be a dogfight for the second spot.