The young Persians defeated Yemen 4-2 in the penalty shootout after the last eight tie ended 0-0 at the Thammasat Stadium on Sunday.
Goalkeeper Arsha Shakouri saved two of Yemen’s spot-kicks as Iran booked not only a last four meeting with either Japan or Australia but also its ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023.
Iran, the 2008 AFC U-16 Championship winner, started the campaign with a 6-1 win over Afghanistan in Group B but was held to a goalless draw against Qatar. Hossein Abdi’s team defeated South Korea 2-0 in its final group match and advanced to the quarterfinals as the first team.