TEHRAN (Tasnim) Head coach Yuzo Funakoshi was proud of his players perseverance after Japan secured a 4-3 penalty victory over Iran in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2025 quarter-final on Sunday.

Having come from behind and then dominating the tie, the match needed a shootout after the match ended 1-1 with Rion Ichiharas spot-kick taking Japan into the semi-finals and booking the ticket to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025.

It was a tough game, as we knew Iran would be a difficult opponent but we stayed focused and didnt panic after conceding early, said Funakoshi.

Japan found itself trailing to Reza Ghandipours fifth minute strike but Kose Oguras long range effort restored terms, with the East Asian side dominating the second half but unable to find the winning goal.

Thats football. We didn't try to change anything in terms of our approach. But I trusted my players and even waited for the final whistle because I knew they would get the job done in the shootout. So many fans came to cheer for our team. We made our fans smile and we are very happy about that, he added.