Iran Coach: We Were Close to Winning Against Belgium
Amir Ghalenoei, the head coach of the Iranian national team, confirmed that his team was close to defeating Belgium in the second round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Kalniwi stated in a press conference that his players delivered a strong performance against one of the top European teams, noting that Iran missed crucial opportunities that could have changed the outcome, while Belgium capitalized on certain details despite being numerically disadvantaged during the match.
He added that the match was quite balanced, praising the fighting spirit of the players and the outstanding performance of the goalkeeper, who played a significant role in securing the draw.
The Iranian coach expressed his dissatisfaction with the substitutes' performance, explaining that the changes did not provide the desired impact, before confirming that they would move past the match and fully focus on the upcoming encounter against Egypt.
The Iranian national team will face the Egyptian national team next Saturday in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Kalniwi stated in a press conference that his players delivered a strong performance against one of the top European teams, noting that Iran missed crucial opportunities that could have changed the outcome, while Belgium capitalized on certain details despite being numerically disadvantaged during the match.
He added that the match was quite balanced, praising the fighting spirit of the players and the outstanding performance of the goalkeeper, who played a significant role in securing the draw.
The Iranian coach expressed his dissatisfaction with the substitutes' performance, explaining that the changes did not provide the desired impact, before confirming that they would move past the match and fully focus on the upcoming encounter against Egypt.
The Iranian national team will face the Egyptian national team next Saturday in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
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