TEHRAN – Iran’s long search for a new head coach is finally over, with former Havadar football team head coach Omid Ravankhah appointed as the Iran U23 national team head coach.

Last month, Havadar were relegated from the 2024/25 Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League (PGPL) at the hands of Ravankhah.

Among the candidates considered to lead the team were former Kheybar head coach Saeid Daghighi and Aluminum coach Mojtaba Hosseini.

The Iran U23 team have been without a coach since parting ways with Reza Enayati due to disappointing results in the 2022 Asian Games.

Iran are placed in Group I of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers, alongside the UAE (host), Hong Kong, China, and Guam. A total of 44 teams have been drawn into 11 groups for the qualifiers, which are scheduled to take place from September 1 to 9, 2025.