Iran Suffers Second Loss at CAFA U-16 Championship

Tajikistan continued its superb run of form and ensured it will only need a single point against Afghanistan on Thursday to guarantee the title.

Iran had been looking to bounce back from Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Afghanistan, but a pair of first-half goals from Kabir Salimshoev gave Hossein Abdi’s charges a deficit they never looked likely to overturn.

Salimshoev struck in the 15th and 27th minutes for the hosts, with the promising Sunatullo Aziziov continuing his purple patch in front of goal by netting the third in the third minute of second half stoppage time, eliminating Iran from the title calculations.

The commanding margin of Tajikistan’s victory takes its tally to 10 points with a +8 goal difference after four matches, meaning the team could potentially win the title even with a narrow defeat to Afghanistan on Thursday.