Football age limit to raise for Tokyo Olympic

reporter 1222 — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 05:27:56 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The age limit for the Tokyo Olympics men’s football tournament could be raised so that players who were eligible in 2020 will not miss out following the postponement of the Games until the following year, FIFA said.

Olympic football is usually restricted to under-23 teams for the men’s tournament, with three overage players allowed per team, Reuters reported.

There is no age limit for the women’s tournament.

However, a working group set up by global soccer’s governing body FIFA recommended on Friday that the competition should remain open to players born on or after January 1, 1997, as originally planned, FIFA said in a statement.

This would effectively raise the age limit by one year, as requested by both South Korea and Australia.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) welcomed the move.

“FFA has been vocal in its view that the men’s Olympic football tournament … should shift to an under-24 format since it was confirmed that Tokyo 2020 will be held in 2021,” FFA said in a statement.

“The endorsement by the FIFA-Confederations working group highlights their understanding of the will of participating member associations to keep the Olympic dreams of players born on or after 01.01.1997 alive.”

The working group also recommended the postponement of all international matches due to be played in June — a formality as Euro 2020, the Copa America and the month’s World Cup qualifiers have already been called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recommendations still have to be approved by the FIFA Bureau, a reduced version of its decision-making Council.

“FIFA also reiterates that health must always be the first priority and the main criteria in any decision-making process, especially in these challenging times,” said FIFA.

The group proposed discussions with continental confederations to finalize a revised schedule for 2022 World Cup qualifiers, after matches this month and in June were postponed.

It also recommended the postponement of the under-20 women’s World Cup, due to be co-hosted by Panama and Costa Rica in August and September, and the under-17 women’s World Cup in India, originally scheduled for November.

A decision on the Futsal World Cup in Lithuania in September should be made by the end of this month, it said.

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Iran Lost AFC U-23 Championship

reporter 1222 — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 14:00:25 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran was eliminated from the AFC U-23 Championship Thailand 2020 title race despite a 1-0 win over China PR at Tinsulanon Stadium on Wednesday.

After wasting a string of chances, Iran finally took the lead through Omid Noorafkan’s 87th-minute penalty, but it wasn’t enough to extend its stay in AFC U-23 Championship, with Uzbekistan advancing on goal difference despite its 2-1 loss to the Korea Republic in Pathum Thani

While Iran claimed a somewhat hollow first win of the competition, China PR’s defeat meant they finished Group C without a point or goal after three matches.

After a draw and a loss in its opening two matches, Iran’s hopes of staying in Thailand beyond Thursday relied on a change of fortunes, but Hamid Estili’s side endured another wasteful first half which ended scoreless despite 14 Iranian shots at goal to China’s three.

Impressive Chinese custodian Chen Wei made a point-blank save from a Jafar Salmani header within three minutes, and it proved to be a sign of things to come as Iran created, then squandered, chance after chance.

Allahyar Sayyadmanesh twice forced Chen into fine reflex saves, and Ali Shojaei narrowly missed the target with a header, before Mehdi Mehdikani ended the first half by failing to find the back of the net from a distance of just three yards in stoppage time, the-afc.com reported.

With the Uzbekistan level with Korea Republic at the interval in Pathum Thani, Iran emerged from the dressing room in need of a significant turnaround on both sides of the country, and Estili looked to boost its attacking stocks with the introduction of Mehdi Ghaedi.

A four-pronged frontline meant Iran continued to threaten, but Team Melli Omid came close to falling behind itself when a thunderous Chen Pu drive rattled the crossbar in the 66th minute.

But most of the chances came in Iran’s attacking third, and they were given a lifeline when they awarded a late penalty, with captain Noorafkan stepping up to stroke them into the lead.

Estili’s side poured forward in search of the all-important second, but Ghaedi headed wide when Chen had left an open net, squandering one of the last opportunities of the game as Iran’s Olympic dream after 44-year was dashed.

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Football age limit to raise for Tokyo Olympic

Iran Lost AFC U-23 Championship