Iran Seals 2019 CAFA U-19 Championship Title
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran won the 2019 CAFA U-19 Championship title after the team earned a 1-1 draw against 10-man Tajikistan at Dushanbe Central Stadium on Thursday.
Needing only to avoid defeat to hold off the host in the final match of the round-robin competition, Iran fell behind to a first-half goal from promising Tajikistan striker Rustam Soirov but hit back with Mahdi Hashemnezhad’s 80th-minute leveler to become the Central Asian champions.
Earlier in the day, Uzbekistan beat Turkmenistan 2-0 to finish third in the competition, which serves as preparation for the forthcoming 2020 AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers.
The Central Asian tournament is being used as preparations for November’s AFC U-19 Championship 2020 Qualifiers, in which all five teams will feature.
