Iran U-17 Keeper Shakouri Eyes Asian Target
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Arsha Shakouri declared the title is his target after his heroics secured Iran a 4-2 penalty shootout victory in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Thailand 2023 quarterfinals against Yemen on Sunday.
The goalkeeper, who has had an outstanding campaign, first denied Haitham Al Salami before pulling off another fine save to stop Abdulrahman Al Khadher with Nima Andarz then netting the winning spot-kick.
The Esteghlal shotstopper was overjoyed after playing such an important role in helping Iran secure qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023.
“I want to dedicate this win to the people of Iran. The match was very difficult for us and what made it worse was the rain which affected our game,” said Shakouri. “Our players fought until the end and I’m very happy to have helped my team qualify for the FIFA World Cup.”
“Having reached our World Cup objective, I hope that we can go on to emerge Asian champions,” he added.
