WCQ 2026: Amir Ghalenoei rues missed chances against UAE

Tasnim – AL AIN, Head coach Amir Ghalenoei was left with mixed feelings after his Iran side remained perfect in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 with a 1-0 victory over United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.

For the second game running, Iran created plenty of chances but had to be satisfied with only a 1-0 win with the 60-year-old left pleased with the points collected but looking to improve his side’s finishing.

“I congratulate Mr. Bento for the good team he has built. It is one of the best teams that UAE has built,” said Ghalenoei. “It was a match that could have ended with a difference of three or four goals and at the same time, was almost a draw.

“Before the game, I said that we had identified the UAE’s strengths in (the match against) Qatar, neutralized them and scored from their weaknesses. In fact, we could have scored more goals.

“We did not convert 90 percent of our chances. Sometimes football punishes you for that but fortunately, we were not punished but it is a problem we have to solve,” he added.