Iran bounced back from two sets down to defeat Japan 3-2 (22-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-21, 15-12) in an epic encounter to end the second round of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup Japan 2015 in Osaka on Friday.
"It was a tough match. They had five wins and we had lost four in a row. It was hard to play with confidence,” Marouf said.
“We started to play our volleyball in the third set. We kept our concentration. Now, we must focus on the next matches. We had nothing to lose against Japan,” he added.
“They made errors in serve and let us back in the match. We talked as a team after the second set. Japan has improved in the last three years."
"We are both big teams in Asia. If we play our game I think we can beat any team in Asia," Iran captain added.