Iran edges past Kuwait in AFC U-22 Cup opener

The Iranian national team has got off to a promising start in the AFC Under-22 Football Championship, edging past Kuwait by a single goal.

Defender Amin Haj Mohammad scored the game’s only goal in the 74th minute in the Hang Jebat Stadium in Melaka, Malaysia on Saturday. 

The Iranian team could have broken the deadlock much earlier in the game, had they been more lethal with their finishing, especially in the first half, where they rattled the woodwork once and squandered another one-on-one opportunity. 

Overall, the result was flattering for Kuwait as Iran hogged position and overpowered its opponent. Alireza Biranvand stood between the sticks for the Iranian side, with Shahriar Shirvand, Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh, Amin Haj-Mohammadi, Vahid Esmail Beigi, Morteza Poor Ali Ganji, Akbar Imani, Mohsen Mosalman, Milad Qaribi, Payam Sadeqian, and Yaghoob Karimi being the other names on the starting line-up. 

The AFC Under-22 Football Championship games are held in seven groups, each containing six teams. 

Iran is grouped with the UAE, Qatar, the Maldives, Tajikistan and Bahrain.