The triangle of Iranian football failures has been completed with Team Melli defeat in Azadi against Uzbekistan. Futsal early elimination , the U-19 defeat afainst Korea and now the Uzbekistan defeat, all within a week. In a match which was a must win for Team Melli in order to cement its position for qualification to the World Cup finals, the team failed to get even a single point at home. This defeat is exaggerated considering that it was against a direct competitor for one of the two places in World Cup 2014. Uzbekistan is now leading the group with 8 points and has an easier task than Iran to collect the necessary points. Two matches at home against Lebanon and Qatar and one away match to Korea Rep.
It seems that Iran is facing much bigger problems than going through the customary if this and if that in order to qualify. The usual mathematical calculation and the possibilities of how many points are required in order to have a chance is marginalized by the real issues. It is apparent that football in Iran is suffering on many fronts and failing to deliver. It is apparent that success in international arenas’ and repeat of past glories require fundamental changes. It is very clear that unless these changes are implemented, the failures will be typical rather than exceptional. Changes have to be implemented starting right at the top of the pyramid beginning with the Football Federation.
Ali Kaffashian , could be a charming , jolly and ever smiling character, but the bucks stop there. He has displayed a real lack of leadership and knowledge, while his management skills leave a lot to be desired. His support team have not fared much better either. Under his administration, Iran football has suffered many failures on the field and some embarrassing distressing letdowns outside of it. The heart breaking elimination of Iranian teams from FIFA or AFC competitions because of administration negligence are good examples of this admiration incompetency. Shy demands for his resignation have been echoed in the press, but for some odd reason, this person seems to have some peculiar immunity from prosecution.
In Kaffashian’s first term in office, Iran has failed to qualify for the World Cup, failed to go beyond the quarter finals of the Asian Cup and Iranian teams failed in almost all the continental competitions they entered, bar one single victory by the U-16 team. Many of these failures were attributed to the federation’s lack of leadership and support or appointments of technical cadres and coaches who were not up to the required qualification and abilities. In a democratic process, where election rules, it is normal that failures do not win a re-election campaign and are either voted out of office or if the person has some dignity , he or she will realize self-shortcomings and refrain from seeking another term. Obviously not in Iran and not in the case of Ali Kaffashian. While his term in the office was ending, Kaffashian filed for re-election after some deliberation and refusal to publicly declare his intentions. He had two strong rivals to content with. Slowly but surely, each one of his candidates dropped out for no valid or convincing reason for Kaffashian to be re-elected unopposed as head of the Iranian football federation for another term!
The dubious conditions in which Kaffashian was re-elected, failed to raise eyebrows in Iran and even the normally critical media in Iran, remained subdued and retrained. This raised many question about who is really running football affairs in Iran. Ali Kaffashian is not a football pedigree neither on nor off the field. He was the Secretary General of Iran’s National Olympic Committee when he suddenly popped up in the football federation election list and surprisingly won what is considered as a tough and demanding position in Iran’s sport.
Time and again, the football administration has displayed lack of tact and skill in dealing with the various affairs of this highly popular sport in Iran. Football is extremely rich picking but peculiarly run in Iran. Clubs earn nearly all their income from government handouts and subsidies. Clubs are also owned by the government, which means that all appointments are sanctioned and approved by the Ministry of Sport. Millions of hard earned dollars are funneled into football. In Iran, wealthy footballers earn several folds more than any other athletes in the country without having anything to show for it. While the basketball team wins Asian championship and makes the Olympics, the Iran’s volleyball wins the continental title and qualifies for the elite of World Volleyball league, while the athletes in the London Olympics win medals and finish this tournament as the most successful ever Olympic participation in Iran’s history, football is registering one failure after another, with no end in sight.