AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers: India looks to ride on winning momentum against powerhouse Iran

India rode on a brace by Manglenthang Kipgen and goals from Kelvin Singh and Korou Singh Thingujam to thrash Mongolia in its opening game on September 25.

Kipgen (extreme right) was the most important player for the Blue Colts in their previous game, scoring twice, and will look to continue a similar form against Iran. | Photo Credit: AIFF Media

After a convincing start to the AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers, India will look to iron out the rough edges as it faces heavyweight Iran, at the Lao National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane, Laos, on September 27.

The Blue Colts rode on a brace by Manglenthang Kipgen and goals from Kelvin Singh and Korou Singh Thingujam to thrash Mongolia in their Group G game on September 25.

But their head coach maintained that the team was not ready to sit on its laurels just yet.

“We must immediately begin preparations for the next game. We missed a lot of chances against Mongolia, and that is something we cannot afford against Iran,” India’s head coach Ranjan Chaudhuri said on the eve of the match.

They are an extremely good side, but we have made our plans according to their game as well. Anything can happen on the day, and with a little luck, our boys can get a good result. The most important thing for us is to play our game well, and come out of the match with our heads held high, with a smile,” he added.

Iran, on the other hand, steamrolled Laos in their opening game, with the score reading 8-0 at full-time. The quarterfinalist of the last edition sits on top of the group standings but will be cautious of not being too complacent against India.

Iran poses for a photo before their match against Laos in their opening match in the U-20 AFC Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers. | Photo Credit: AIFF Media

“India have quality players, many of whom I’ve seen at the U-17 level in Thailand last year. They play a fast game, have shown a good understanding of football. I think the game has progressed very fast in India recently, and we will see further advances in the future,” Hossein Abdi, Iran’s head coach said.

“We will give it our best against them, but the most important thing at this level is that the players are safe. It’s all about building good human relations and doing well for the country.

The match is scheduled for a 2:30 pm IST kick-off.