Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Hamedan: Iran coach Ali Heidar wants every team to enjoy themselves and at the same time entertain the fans when the AFC U-14 Championship kicks off in Hamedan on Monday.
Hosts Iran will begin their campaign with a clash against surprise package Timor-Leste in what is a mouth-watering curtain raiser.
Iran are in a strong Group A where they face fellow title contenders DPR Korea and Saudi Arabia, with Timor Leste also making the final cut after stunning fellow South East Asian countries during the qualifiers earlier this year.
“Once we qualified for the championship, our real preparations began,” Heidar said in the pre-tournament press conference.
“This is an occasion for me to teach the young players how to play, how to enjoy and at the same time how to win,” he added.
Monday’s rivals Timor-Leste are looking to shine once again at this level after they topped Group E in the qualification stage - conceding only three goals and wracking up 30 in five matches.
Apart from drawing 0-0 against Malaysia, they defeated Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines and Brunei en route to the finals in Iran.
“We travelled a lot to get here and we are definitely going to give a good fight to our opponents,” warned coach Kim Shinhwan.
“It’s a big achievement for a new nation like ours to play in the finals; the boys will have good international exposure and at the same time they will enjoy it,” he added.
Meanwhile, DPR Korea coach Kim Chol Jin vowed to ensure that his charges give their all throughout the competition.
“It’s a really good thing that the boys will get international exposure at this age and this tournament will definitely help them develop as good players in the future,” said Kim.
“We have come here to offer our best and there won’t be any compromise, we have prepared ourselves in the best way possible.”
Kim’s counterpart Omar Abdulla of Saudi Arabia stressed his determination to help his side grow as footballers.
“Since it’s a competition, every coach wants to win the match, (but) we will not let the kids forget one element - that is ‘enjoy playing’.
“We know that we are in a strong Group A where we have the hosts and two other good sides, so we have to prepare the players and let them enjoy their game,” Abdulla added.
Both matches on Monday will be played at the Hajibabai Stadium with the hosts taking on Timor-Leste in the first match followed by the clash between Saudi Arabia and DPR Korea.