AFC U-19 Championship SF: Saudi Arabia vs Iran [PREVIEW]

AFC – MANAMA, Coach Amir Peiravani will call on his players to put their celebrations on hold for another two games as Islamic Republic of Iran set their sights on booking their first appearance in the final of the AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016 for 39 years when they take on Saudi Arabia at Khalifa Sports City Stadium on Thursday.

Iran joined Saudi Arabia, Japan and Vietnam in qualifying for the finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017 by reaching the last four of the competition, and the Iranians are now focusing on winning the title for the first time in four decades.

The Iranians last won the competition in 1976, when they shared the title with DPR Korea in the third of a run of three consecutive championships, while a year later they lost in the final against Iraq.

That was the country’s last appearance in the final, with Iran’s best performance in recent years coming in 2000, when they finished fourth on home soil.

“We had two plans when we came here, the first was to go to the World Cup and the second was to be champion in this competition,” said Peiravani, whose team saw off Uzbekistan to qualify for the semi-final. “Saudi Arabia didn’t start very well but they have got better as the tournament has gone on.

“I’ve seen all of their games. Their football is the same as it always is in Saudi Arabia. They play very easy and relaxed, they don’t have any special tactics or put us under pressure with those tactics. But they can do damage to the other team.

“I’ve had a lot of meeting with players and we have watched their games many times. We have talked a lot about the positives and negatives of their team.

“If our players’ motivation hasn’t dropped because they have qualified for the World Cup, then we can win but they mustn’t think the competition is finished. They must think that this is the last chance to go to the final. They won’t have a golden chance like this again. If they concentrate on the match and understand their position then tomorrow we can win.”

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, saw off a talented Iraq team to book their place in the last four, and the country is also seeking to return to the final for the first time in a prolonged period.

The Saudis last played in the final of the AFC U-19 Championship in 1992, when they defeated Korea Republic to claim a second title in four events. They most recently qualified for the semi-finals in 2010 in China.

Saad Al Shehri’s team have been improving throughout the competition following a nervous start that saw them lose their opening game against Bahrain, and the coach is confident his team can book their place in the tournament’s deciding match.

“I think we will play well because all of the pressure is gone,” he said. “We now need to show the people Saudi football, especially modern Saudi football with this team. I hope we can go to the final and take the title.

“Our slow start was normal because we didn’t play any strong friendly games before the championship, we started going step by step and the team can be better than before.

“For the players now, the pressure is finished and we have more than we did before and I hope everyone will see a nice game and that we can go to the final and return with the cup for all of the kingdom.

“Iran are a very good team with a very good defence but, insha Allah, we can reach the final.”

Photo: Lagardère Sports