AFC: Javad Nekounam vying for continental title
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Loading...Tasnim – KUALA LUMPUR, Foolad coach Javad Nekounam is among the eight coaches in the AFC Champions League 2022 Round of 16 (West) who is looking towards the continental title.
The eight West Asian sides in action feature at the helm a diversity of tactical schools, with two Argentinians, a Chilean, a Spaniard, a Portuguese, a Greek, and two local coaches from Iran and Uzbekistan in the hot seats in the Round of 16.
The only one of the eight managers to have experienced the AFC Champions League both as a player and a coach, Nekounam is one of Iran’s finest footballers of all time, with 151 Team Melli caps to his name.
As a player, Nekounam was part of the Esteghlal side that reached the 2013 AFC Champions League semi-final, losing to Seoul 4-2 on aggregate, having previously also represented PAS Tehran in the 2005 edition.
His first attempt at the competition as a coach came last year with Foolad who finished bottom of the group with five points. This time around, he made no mistakes, with his side going unbeaten to top Group C and reach the Round of 16.
