Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Hamedan: AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has congratulated Iraq for becoming the first ever champions of the AFC U-14 Championship after beating DPR Korea 3-0 in the final.
All the goals came in the second half of the match, as in-form striker, and tournament top scorer, Mohanad Ali Kadhim netted a brace and Mohammed Ridha, who was later declared the tournament's Most Valuable Player, scored the third goal in the final played at the Hajibabaei Stadium on Wednesday.
Shaikh Salman believes Iraq's performance throughout the tournament merits them the victory and praised the strong spirit shown by both teams in the final.
He said Iraq has a bright future in the game as they have shown their strong ability at a young age. He believes this will be an inspiration for Iraq to ensure proper football development in the country and give the players the right support to grow both mentally and physically so hopefully they can carry Asia's hope at the global stage in the future.
He also stated the level of football shown throughout the tournament belied the players' young age and this is an encouraging sign for Asian football.
The AFC President also praised the IR Iran Football Federation for a successful organisation of the first ever AFC U-14 Championship saying that even though it is a youth championship, the hard work, professionalism and cooperation shown by the host speaks volume of the importance placed for youth football development in Asia.