AFC - Iran outlined the AFC U-19 Championship title credentials with an emphatic 6-0 victory over Kuwait on Wednesday that saw the Iranians advance to the quarter-finals as Group A winners.
Valid Mashay Zadeh gave Iran a 1-0 advantage to take into the second-half before the four-time champions turned on the style after the interval with five unanswered goals saw them top the Group A table and set up a quarter-final clash with Korea Republic on Sunday.
Iran dominated from the start and after Alireza Jahan saw his 22nd minute free-kick pushed out for a corner by Khalifah Al Dhufairi before the Kuwait keeper needed to be bailed out by a defensive team-mate who was on hand to clear Behnam Barzay's goal-bound header off the line.
The crossbar came to Kuwait's rescue four minutes later when Jahan beat two defenders only to see his shot rattle the woodwork.
But as the game approached the half-hour mark Iran's dominance finally paid off when Zadeh collected a defensive clearance on the edge of the area and dispatched the ball into the Kuwait net.
Kuwait were more composed at the start of the second half but after Jahan and Zadeh had efforts on goal Iran doubled their advantage in the 54th minute through Ehsan Pahlavan before the Kuwaiti defence couldn't deal with Jahan's cross from the right which allowed substitute Sardar Azmoun to slide home number three five minutes later.
Azmoun turned provider for fellow substitute Hossein Fazeli to make it 4-0 in the 64th minute before Jahan's cross gave Roozbeh Cheshmi he time and space to slot the ball into an empty net.
Fazeli completed the scoring in the 78th minute when he headed in Pahlavan's cross at the near post but Kuwait's misery didn't end there as Mohammad Al Bathali and then substitute Mohammad Al Enzi were both sent off in stoppage-time, with Al Bathali receiving a straight red for kicking out at an Iranian player and Al Enzi getting his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card for a foul shortly after.