TEHRAN – Former Iran football team midfielder Moharram Navidkia is a candidate to take charge of Iran U23 football team.

The 40-year-old trainer has most recently worked as head coach of Iranian club Sepahan football team.

Mehdi Mahdavikia resigned from his post as head coach of the U23 team in early October.

He shared a message on his Instagram story, declaring he has no relationship with Iran football federation.

Under guidance of Mahdavikia, Iran showed a poor performance in the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup and failed to qualify for the next stage.

The football federation will appoint Iran U23 coach after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.