Hossein Abdi, the head coach of the Iran U23 football team, stated that his team is ready to face the United Arab Emirates in the first group stage match of the 2026 Asian Games, which will be held in Nagoya, Japan.
Iran will begin its campaign against the UAE on Wednesday. Abdi acknowledged difficulties within his team's roster but emphasized that the players are fully focused on starting the competition with a strong performance.
Speaking at a press conference before the match, Abdi expressed joy at returning to Japan and highly praised the country's hospitality. He noted that this was his fifth or sixth visit to Japan and shared positive memories from previous trips with his teams.
The coach added that the Asian Games provide athletes with an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience, which he hopes will help them in the future and ultimately benefit Iranian football.
Abdi also highlighted the strong relationship between Iran and Japan, emphasizing the cultural ties between the two Asian nations. He mentioned the ancient roots of their cultures, comparing Japanese culture to four or five thousand years and Iranian culture to approximately seven thousand years, stressing mutual understanding and respect among Asians.
In Abdi's view, the Asian Games represent more than just a sporting competition. He stated that sport has the ability to bring peoples closer, teaches respect, humanity, and the pursuit of building a better world, naming respect and humanity as the most important values in sports.
Furthermore, Abdi commented on the absence of five players in the starting match because the game is taking place outside the FIFA international window. He explained that the schedule creates this problem, which cannot be changed at this time, and the team will have to accept the situation. He specified that for the first match, a squad consisting of 15 field players and three goalkeepers is available, provided there are no injuries. Abdi concluded that this is an inherent part of football and assured that the team will do its best to achieve a good result against the strong UAE team.