TEHRAN – Iran registered a crucial victory in their AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2025 on Sunday, taking a significant stride toward the knock out stage.
Iran cruised to dominant 6-0 victory over Yemen in their Group C tie at the Shenzhen Youth Football Training Base Pitch.
From the opening whistle, Iran asserted control. Yemen created early chances, with Mohammed Al Awami firing wide in the 6th minute and Adel Qasem attempting a looping shot in the 8th, but neither effort was on target.
However, Iran soon took over. In the 26th minute, Abolfazl Zamani pounced on a loose ball to score the opener, sending his shit into the top left corner. Zamani doubled his tally in the 34th minute with a header after failed to clear a cross from Yahghob Barajeh.
Iran extended their lead further before halftime. Esmaeil Gholizadeh capitalized on a poor pass from Ahmed Al Hajj to slot the ball in the 42nd minute, and an own goal by Yemen’s Mohammed Moqbel just before the break left the scoreline at 4-0.
In the second half, Iran continued their dominance, with Ghandipour heading home in the 46th minute from a cross by Abbas Kahrizi. The final blow came in the 72nd minute when Abolfazl Zoleikhaei finished with a diving header from Nima Andarz’s cross. The win put Iran in a strong position to advance, needing Indonesia to fail to beat Uzbekistan later in the day.