AFC - The Islamic Republic of Iran recorded their second victory at the AFC U-20 Futsal Championship with a 5-1 defeat of the United Arab Emirates, to maintain their position as Group D leaders.
A tight first-half saw Hamzeh Kadkhoda give Iran the lead after 5 minutes, but the UAE put in a solid first-half performance to reach the halfway mark with just the one-goal deficit at Bangkok’s Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.
Second-half goals from Madhdi Karimi and Hamid Ghahramani gave Iran a three goal cushion, only for Abdulla Ahmed to pull one back to give the Emiratis some hope. However a second goal apiece from Ghahramani and Kadkhoda in the final five minutes saw Iran emerge as comfortable match winners, putting them in pole position to qualify for the knockout phase.
Iran's next match: May 19, China v Iran
UAE's next match: May 19, Kyrgyz Republic v UAE
Iran: KADKHODA 5', KARIMI 24', GHAHRAMANI 25', GHAHRAMANI 36', KADKHODA 37'
UAE: AHMED 30'