TEHRAN - Ghasem Haddadifar has been appointed as the new head coach of Iran’s U20 football team.

Speaking about the appointment, Ali Targholizadeh, Chairman of the Technical and Development Committee of the Iran Football Federation, said the decision was made following Hossein Abdi’s move to the Iran U23 national team. Haddadifar was nominated by the Technical Committee and subsequently approved by the Federation’s Board of Directors.

Targholizadeh explained that the committee reviewed a list of active coaches from the Persian Gulf Pro League, the Azadegan League, and other qualified candidates holding a Pro License. After careful evaluation, Haddadifar was selected based on his coaching experience with Zob Ahan, as well as his extensive playing career at both domestic and international levels.

He added that the Federation’s Board emphasized the importance of assembling a strong coaching staff around Haddadifar to ensure the team is fully prepared for the upcoming AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Iran will compete in the qualification tournament from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6 in Vietnam, where they have been drawn alongside Vietnam and North Korea in the qualifying group.

The appointment marks a significant step in Iran’s youth development program as the U20 side aim to secure a place in the next AFC U20 Asian Cup.