Abdi Wants More from Iran U-20 Side in Asian Cup
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran head coach Hossein Abdi admitted his team could have performed better in the opening AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2025 match against Indonesia despite controlling the game from the start.
The four-time champion defeated Indonesia 3-0 in Group C in a match that came alive in the second half. Hesam Nafari opened proceedings five minutes after the start, but the second and third goals from Esmaeil Gholizadeh and Mobin Dehghan only materialized in the 63rd and 70th minutes.
“We should have scored more goals in the first half, but the second half was an improvement,” said Abdi, adding that Indonesia was strong, aggressive and good at keeping the ball.
“In any tournament we have to take the points first. We have to see what we can do in the next match, focus on our opponents’ weaknesses and use that.
All the teams here are the best in Asia, they’re trying hard and ready to win the tournament. We have to think carefully, which is why I’m taking it from match to match,” Abdi concluded.
