We Wanted to Qualify for World Cup: Abbas Chamanian
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran coach Abbas Chamanian admitted that their main goal in the AFC U-16 Championship India 2016 was to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Iran lost to Iraq 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
“I said before the tournament that we wanted to qualify for the World Cup. We did that and have been very successful here,” the Chamanian said.
“We couldn’t control the game against Iraq like we have done before,” said Chamanian. “We had a few efforts on goal but were unlucky. Iraq is a strong team and a dangerous team to play against. They are very physical and I know that they were better than us."
“We were very tired after the semi-final with DPR Korea, and Mohammad Ghaderi and Saeid Ahani were carrying injuries from that game so did not perform at their best,” added Chamanian.
“But I have to congratulate Iraq. We knew they were strong before the tournament and they showed that today.”
“I told the players that penalties are lucky and that they have done very well in this tournament. I thanked them for their effort from the first day up until now,” the Iranian coach added.
