“Today’s game taught us a very important lesson, we had two totally different halves,” said Ghalenoei. “In the first half we were fantastic, scored three goals and didn’t give DPR Korea any opportunities but in the second half, we didn’t have a good game after losing one of our players and control of the match.

“During the break, we reminded the players to treat the score as if it was level because DPR Korea are a dangerous team, and their past performances have shown they cannot be underestimated. We were fortunate to hold on for the three points in the second half.”

Ghalenoei emphasised on the need for recovery with Iran to play Kyrgyz Republic next with a win likely to confirm their ticket to the FIFA World Cup 2026.

 

“We managed to control the game through our substitutions, though we were fortunate that football spared us today and didn’t punish our mistakes. We needed to be more focused in situations where we fell short, and that is something I take seriously as a coach. Nevertheless, I am extremely grateful to my players.

“But we have to be happy we got the three points today and from tomorrow we must be focused for the next match against Kyrgyz Republic.”

DPR Korea head coach Sin Yong-Nam admitted his side fell short of expectations, with the defeat ending their hopes of a top-two finish which would have meant automatic qualification to the global Finals.

"Today, the game did not go as expected; the players were too nervous to secure the win. The tactics and strategies were as we prepared, but in the second half, we managed to come back and score twice.

“We need to learn from our mistakes to move forward."