TEHRAN – Iran head coach Hossein Abdi has asked his side to be cautious of Yemen when the sides meet in their AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2025 Group C tie at the Shenzhen Youth Football Training Base Pitch 1 on Sunday.

Yemen, who have 10 players from that squad in Shenzhen, held Iran to a goalless draw before eventually falling 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2023 quarter-finals in Thailand.

With that in mind, Abdi has warned his players that they cannot underestimate Yemen.

“We are facing a very tough match against Yemen. In fact, all our matches will be challenging, and every team will be focused on securing points,” said Abdi.

“We played against Yemen in the quarter-finals of the AFC U17 Asian Cup in 2023 where we won 4-2 in a penalty shootout. They are a hardworking team—tough, disciplined, and good at keeping possession. I’m sure they are among the best teams in Asia.

“We need to improve in all aspects of our game. While we train with most of our players, some are also with the senior team, which has been a challenge. As a result, we only had about seven days to train with the full squad. However, we will ensure that the team is ready for each match in this tournament.”

Mohammed Hasan Ali Al Baadani’s Yemen will be eager to move past their opening-day defeat against Uzbekistan as they prepare to face a formidable Iran side.

Yemen squandered chances in the second half against Uzbekistan, with Mohammed Al Brnawi and Adel Qasem unable to find the back of the net, the-afc.com wrote.

“We are still in this competition despite the defeat to Uzbekistan,” said  Al Baadani. “Football is a game of fine margins and we will do our best to improve our finishing and come back stronger against Iran.”