Shenzhen, Feb 16 (IANS): Iran and Jordan both registered crucial victories in their respective AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2025 matches on Sunday, taking significant strides toward the knockout stage.

Iran cruised to a dominant 6-0 victory over Yemen in their Group C tie at the Shenzhen Youth Football Training Base Pitch 1. From the opening whistle, Iran asserted control. Yemen created early chances, with Mohammed Al Awami firing wide in the 6th minute and Adel Qasem attempting a looping shot in the 8th, but neither effort was on target.

However, Iran soon took over. In the 26th minute, Abolfazl Zamani pounced on a loose ball to score the opener, sending his shot into the top left corner. Zamani doubled his tally in the 34th minute with a header after Yemen failed to clear a cross from Yaghoob Barajeh.

Iran extended their lead further before halftime. Esmaeil Gholizadeh capitalised on a poor pass from Ahmed Al Hajj to slot the ball home in the 42nd minute, and an own goal by Yemen’s Mohammed Moqbel just before the break left the scoreline at 4-0.

In the second half, Iran continued their dominance, with Ghandipour heading home in the 46th minute from a cross by Abbas Kahrizi. The final blow came in the 72nd minute when Abolfazl Zoleikhaei finished with a diving header from Nima Andarz’s cross. The win put Iran in a strong position to advance, needing Indonesia to fail to beat Uzbekistan later in the day.

Meanwhile, Jordan earned a hard-fought 2-1 win over DPR Korea in their Group B match at the Longhua Cultural and Sports Centre Stadium. The early exchanges saw DPR Korea pressing, but Jordan struck first in the 6th minute. Ibrahim Sabra latched onto a flick from Burhan Fakhoury and fired a powerful shot past DPR Korea’s goalkeeper Hong Kil Ryong. DPR Korea’s Kim Se Jin had a chance to equalise in the 14th minute but sent his shot wide, and captain Choe Kuk also missed in the 29th minute with a header that went over the bar.

Jordan had further chances to extend their lead, with Sabra almost scoring a second just before halftime, but his effort was blocked. After the break, both sides struggled with finishing, but Sabra eventually sealed the win in the 70th minute, nudging the ball past a defender into an empty net. DPR Korea earned a penalty in the 83rd minute, which Ri Jong Dok converted, but it was too little, too late for the Koreans.