Iran seeks to advance from group as top team: Zlatko Kranjcar
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Loading...Tasnim – TEHRAN, Iran U-23 football coach Zlatko Kranjcar says they want to qualify for the next stage of the AFC U-23 Championship Thailand 2020 Qualifiers as the top team.
Iran will face Iraq in Group C of the competition on Tuesday.
Iraq sits top of the group thanks to a better goal difference.
“Iraq is a quality team but we have analyzed the team. Our players are motivated to win the match. We want to advance to the next stage as the winner,” Kranjcar said.
“We are taking part in the competition with good preparation. Of course we have had some problems prior to the competition because several clubs didn’t release their players for the training camp; however there is no excuse,” the Croatan coach added.
The Qualifiers sees 43 teams jostling for 15 spots to next January’s Finals, which will also serve as the qualifying round for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
With Japan having confirmed its Olympic berth by virtue of being the host, three spots will be up for grabs in the AFC U-23 Championship Thailand 2020.
Iran has not qualified for the Olympic Games since 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
