TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran national football team winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh says the upcoming friendly match against Algeria can be helpful for Team Melli in preparation for the 2018 World Cup.

Iran is scheduled to face Algeria in the warm-up match in Graz, Austria on Tuesday.

Carlos Queiroz’s team lost to Tunisia 1-0 on March 23 in Rades.

“(The) Tunisia match was a good warm-up for us and the match against Algeria is also important for Team Melli. These friendlies will improve our readiness for the match against Morocco in the World Cup opener,” Jahanbakhsh told Iran Football Federation’s website.

“Morocco is a strong team as it showed against Serbia in (a) friendly. I know some Moroccan players and it will be a difficult match for us,” the AZ Alkmaar winger added.

“We will have a difficult task in the World Cup because Spain and Portugal are among the best teams in the world. But I believe that the friendlies against Turkey and Greece will help us increase our readiness,” Jahanbakhsh stated.