TEHRAN – Zohreh Jafari from Iran wan named as the Youth Coach of the Year at the AFC Grassroots Conference 2025, which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

She led Sepahan youth girls to a title in Iran last season.  

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Grassroots Panel gathered in Kuala Lumpur with one clear message coming out of it – Asia’s football revolution still starts from the ground up.

Held on the eve of the 4th AFC Grassroots Football Conference, the meeting brought together development experts and technical leaders to take stock of progress, swap ideas, and set the next targets for the continent’s fast-growing grassroots game.

Under the supervision of AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh, the topics of discussion zeroed in on expanding the AFC Grassroots Charter, now counting 44 Member Associations.

News from the conference suggests that the confederation has considered fresh applications from nations looking to raise their standards in youth participation, coaching, and community engagement – dipping their toes into the AFC’s budget to do so.