Iran will start the campaign with a showdown against defending champion Uzbekistan in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
With Central Asia’s U-16 Championship - won in style by the host - fresh in the memory, a slightly older generation of players are set to battle for regional bragging rights, as well as prepare for this year’s all-important AFC U-19 Championship 2020 Qualifiers.
The tournament, which runs until next Thursday, will see each team meet once on a round-robin basis, with the team on top of table at the end of the 10-match schedule to be crowned Central Asian champions.
Pourmousavi is confident of his side’s chances in the tournament.
“We brought our strongest squad,” he declared. “We will try to perform as successfully as possible and take first place in the tournament.”
The CAFA U-19 Championship will conclude on August 15, with the AFC U-19 Championship 2020 Qualifiers to be held throughout the Continent in November.