Vientiane (Laos), Sep 26 || India U20 men’s national team is not ready to sit on its laurels just yet. While the team seems to have put past disappointments with a confident 4-1 victory against Mongolia in the first Group G match of the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Facing Iran, considered a powerhouse of Asian football, in their next game at the Lao National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane on Friday, with the kick-off slated for 2.30 pm IST, India will be looking to iron out the rough edges.
Head coach Ranjan Chaudhuri said on the eve of the Iran test, “The last match was a big motivation for our team. I’ve always maintained that winning the first match of a tournament is crucial, and the boys stuck their heads in and played extremely well against Mongolia.
“But we cannot rejoice in the victory just yet. We must immediately begin preparations for the next game,” he said. “We missed a lot of chances against Mongolia, and that is something we cannot afford against Iran,” said Chaudhuri.
“They are an extremely good side, but we have made our plans according to their game as well. Anything can happen on the day, and with a little luck, our boys can get a good result. The most important thing for us is to play our game well, and come out of the match with our heads held high, with a smile,” said Chaudhuri.