Ghalenoei Satisfied with Iran’s Performance against Qatar
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Despite the first defeat in the 2026 World Cup qualification, Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei saw positives in his side’s performance.
Iran, who has already qualified for the World Cup, lost to Qatar 1-0 in Doha on Thursday.
Team Melli will host North Korea on Tuesday in Tehran.
“I think the match was good. Both teams performed well and we started well. There were some moments in the match, especially the second yellow card for our player, which caused us to lose some control at the end of the first half but we improved in the second half,” Ghalenoei said.
“The Iranian league ended early, and some players waited 20 days (to play), and our situation was different from Qatar's. Seven of our main players were injured but the young players were good and I am very optimistic about the future,” he added.
Qatar will face Uzbekistan, who booked its place in the global spectacle following their 0-0 stalemate against the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, while Iran takes on North Korea.
