Beijing time on October 28, a paper 2-2 war report in the Asian soccer circle waves, China's U16 national youth team and South Korea in the AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers shook hands and break into the next round of the tournament as the second group. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Iran questioned the age of North Korea's players, with an official letter pointing directly at AFC and demanding an investigation.
Iran finished second in the Group A qualifiers behind North Korea with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. However, a 1-4 loss left North Korea as the only team in the group with a clean sheet and a seemingly straight path to advancement. The Iranian Football Federation's questioning of the age of the DPRK's players has undoubtedly cast a shadow over the Asian powerhouse.
"The physical characteristics and physique of the North Korean team's players are clearly over 17 years old, a situation that could jeopardize the fairness of the game." The Iranian Football Federation (IFF) was blunt in a letter to AFC Secretary General Windsor John. They also named six North Korean players and demanded a detailed investigation.
Iran's U-16 national team head coach Abbas Chamanian suspected that the North Korean players' ages were falsified before the match, and he immediately reflected this to the tournament director. The incident sparked widespread concern in international soccer, with the focus on how the AFC will respond to Iran's protests in the future.
In this battle over age, the principle of fair play is being tested. And the firm stance of the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) has undoubtedly raised a strong voice for the healthy development of Asian soccer.
