AFC U16 Championship: Qualifiers Iran eager to qualify for final stage with win against UAE

Hosts Pakistan seek consolation win against Sri Lanka.

LAHORE:

Iran and the UAE will battle for a place in the final round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U16 Championship in the last qualifying stage at the Punjab Stadium today.

Iran’s coach Mostafa Ghanbarpour said his team was confident about qualifying for the final round in Thailand next year.

“We played against the UAE five months ago in a friendly match,” said Ghanbarpour. “They are a tough side, but we are working very hard and hopefully we will qualify for the final round.”

Iran also played in the semi-final of the AFC U16 championship last year, while the UAE have won the Gulf Cup a couple of months ago.

Both Iran and the UAE have six points each after playing two group matches with Iran scoring 10 goals in their matches and the UAE eight. Consequently, even a draw between the two teams will ensure Iran’s place in the final.

“Despite the UAE’s tireless preparations, they will be under enormous pressure since Iran are stronger and already have a better goal-average,” a Pakistan Football Federation officer with the UAE squad told The Express Tribune. “However, their will to win is clear from the way they have practiced for the final encounter.”

Pakistan team captain Rajab Ali also feels that Iran will have an advantage against the UAE.



“We’ve played against both teams and they are very well prepared, but Iran will win the match,” said Ali. “Iran’s players are stronger and their confidence level is very high. The UAE players are indeed very quick but it will be Iran’s day.”

Pakistan aim for ending campaign on winning note

Hosts Pakistan will look for a consolation win against Sri Lanka after failing to qualify for the AFC U16 championship, with the home team captain saying his side will win the last match today.

“We are definitely disappointed with our results against Iran and the UAE,” said the Quetta-born footballer. “We worked hard, we played well but we were unlucky.

“Winning and losing is part of the game, but we really tried our best. We missed the opportunities to score in the opening minutes against Iran and also the UAE which cost us the match. We didn’t qualify, but we learned and hopefully we will end the tournament with at least one win. The team is really upbeat about our last match.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2013.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.