News ID: 486

Date: 05 August 2025 - 22:17

AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers – Malaysia

Ardalan: Every match is like a final for us

The head coach of the Iran U-20 women’s national football team responded to journalists’ questions during a press conference.

Niloufar Ardalan, head coach of the Iran U-20 women’s national football team, said on the sidelines of the press conference:

“In recent times, according to pre-planned schedules, we have held various training and selection camps. Our focus during these stages has been on technical, tactical, and team coordination aspects to ensure full readiness for the upcoming competitions.”

She added:
“In training sessions, we tried to help players gain a better understanding of different styles of play and analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the teams from Guam, Malaysia, and Japan. This has helped players enter each session with a sharper perspective.”

Regarding the match against Malaysia, Ardalan emphasized:
“For us, every match is like a final. All games are important to us. Malaysia benefits from hosting and has its own unique conditions. Japan is Asia’s dominant power, and Guam should not be underestimated. Our goal is to build a cohesive team—one that enters the competition with high mental and technical readiness. Our training is not just physical; it also focuses on decision-making during matches and recognizing different game situations.”

The head coach of the Iran U-20 women’s national team concluded:
“With the players’ efforts, the federation’s support, and proper planning, we’ve entered this round of competitions, and we hope to deliver a worthy and honorable performance from Iran’s women’s football at this age level.”