Tehran Times - Iran international striker Karim Ansarifard says the match against Vietnam will be Team Melli’s second final in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Iran will take on the Vietnamese team at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the UAE on Saturday.
“Every match is like a final for us. We won Yemen 5-0 in our first final and now we concentrate on our second final against Vietnam,” Ansarifard said.
“There will be no easy games for Iran since the teams have progressed a lot. Turkmenistan made life difficult for Japan on Wednesday. We are here to do our best and I believe that Vietnam and Iraq are strong teams and we will not underestimate them,” the Nottingham Forest striker added.
Ansarifard, who scored an equalizer against Portugal in the 2018 World Cup, came off the bench as a substitute in the second half.
“We don’t care who scores and who becomes the top scorer, what is the most important is that we keep progressing in the tournament. The Iranian fans are always supporting us and it brings positive energy in the competition,” Ansarifard added.
Iran sit top of the table after beating Yemen in their opener on Monday.
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Iraq are second thanks to a 3-2 late win over Vietnam.
Team Melli last won the Cup in 1976 and the Persians are looking forward to end their 43-year trophy drought in the UAE.
The 2019 AFC Asian Cup is being held in the UAE from Jan. 5 to Feb. 1.