TEHRAN – Iran U20 head coach Hossein Abdi expressed his gratitude following the team's victory against Yemen in the 2025 AFC U20 Asian Cup.

On Sunday, Iran defeated Yemen 6-0 in Group C, securing their advancement to the next stage after a 3-0 win over Indonesia in the opener.

The young Persians are scheduled to meet Uzbekistan on Wednesday.

“Our players performed well, and we managed to secure the win against Yemen. The opposing team attempted to provoke ours, but fortunately, one of the Yemeni players was sent off after fouling one of our players. This made the game tougher as they played more defensively, but it also simplified our task with them down to 10 men,” Abdi explained.

“The goals we scored would have happened even if Yemen had 11 players on the pitch; they were very dynamic at the start of the match. They ran a lot in the first 10 to 12 minutes and kept their energy up until the end. They managed the ball well, but our aim here is to make an impact in Asia. I hope we succeed in both Asian and global competitions and discover our talented young players through these events,” he added.

Looking ahead to the match against Uzbekistan, he noted, “Korea and Japan play after us, so we can't determine our knockout opponents. I will rest most of my players, particularly those who received cards, allowing others to prepare for this game.”

“Regardless of the outcome, we will advance, so it’s wise to ensure we're prepared and avoid injuries or further bookings as we proceed. We might not have many players available for the next match,” Abdi concluded.