Foolad is the only Iranian side to advance to the next stage and it did so in sensational fashion by topping Group C on 12 points after a 1-1 draw against Shabab Al Ahli Dubai on Tuesday.
With the West Zone Round of 16 scheduled for February 2023, Nekounam insists there is room for improvement ahead of the Knockout Stage if he is given the opportunity to continue leading Foolad.
“If I’m given the chance, I have the perfect plan for the next round because in that stage you cannot make mistakes. We will need players who can add their experience to the team and are able to convert our ideas on the pitch,” he said.
Nekounam praised his charges for negotiating past a difficult Group Stage with flying coolers where they won three and drew three matches.
“We qualified as the first team in a group with powerful teams from the UAE and Qatar and that showed our quality. I want to congratulate my players because from the first day, our goal was to qualify as the first team and now we are among the eight best teams in the West Region,” Nekounam enthused.