TEHRAN – Ex-Persepolis football team head coach Afshin Ghotbi is a candidate to take charge of coachless Iran U23 football team.

The U23 team director Habib Kashani has previously worked with Ghotbi in Persepolis, where the Iranian-American coach inspired the giants club to a title in domestic league in 2008.

Ghotbi, 59, has also worked as head coach in Iran national football team and Foolad club.

Paykan coach Mojtaba Hosseini and Zob Ahan trainer Mehdi Tartar are also two candidates to lead the team.

Mehdi Mahdavikia resigned from his post as head coach of the U23 team in October 2022 and the team are without a coach with four months remaining until the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualification.

The competition will be held from Sept. 4 to 12 in Qatar.

The 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup will act as the AFC qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s football tournament.