Qantas Joeys looking forward to Iranian challenge

The Qantas Joeys will face host nation IR Iran,in the quarter-finals of the AFC U-16 Championship 2012 in Tehran with a berth in the semi-finals on offer, and a place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The Qantas Joeys are looking forward to the challenge of facing the host nation, IR Iran, in the quarter-finals of the AFC U-16 Championship 2012 on Sunday in Tehran, with not only a berth in the semi-finals on offer, but also a place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates next year.

Both teams are undefeated going into the match and the local media are calling for the Iranian public to pack the stadium to watch what promises to be the game of the tournament so far.

On the eve of such an important match, Qantas Joeys Head Coach Alistair Edwards believes that there is a real sense of excitement within the camp at the moment.

“We are all excited about taking on the host nation, there is an air of expectancy around Iran as everyone has memories of the 1997 world cup qualification game's between the two countries,” said Edwards.

"The boys have been playing well, we have developed a strong focus and belief in the process rather than just concentrating on the result, on Sunday this will be no different.

“There have been times when this has been a challenge due to the direct nature of some or our opponents as well as the occasion, but the pleasing aspect has been that with a few gentle reminders, we have stuck to our process and associated team tasks and the success so far has been the by-product,” concluded Edwards.

In the other quarter-finals Iraq will face Kuwait, Korea Republic will meet Uzbekistan and Japan will take on Syria.

For fans back in Australia and around the world, the match will be streamed live via the AFC U-16 Championship 2012 channel: www.ustream.tv/afcu16