Category: AFC Asian Cup 2015

No serious injury fears in Team Melli squad.

Amir Hossein Sadeghi , Andranik Teymourian and Masoud Shojae carry  slight knocks that is not considered to be too serious according to Team Melli medical staff.

Teymourian & Shojae played against Bahrain and both received a slight knock in the game , while Sadeghi is believed to had these knocks during the training sessions in Australia. Amir Hossein Sadeghi was an unused substitute in the Bahrain game which Team Melli won 2-0.

All the three players are being given special treatment and recovery training.

Dr. Khanlori also confirmed that Hashim Beigzadeh , who was replaced by Khanzadeh is suffering from a broken bones in his palm. “We could have placed a special protective element as a precaution in order to make him ready for playing , but at the end we decided not to take a risk.” The head of Medical staff of Team Melli announced.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Hossein Haymathi , who is in-charge of Team Melli squad security,  a task which involves keeping an eye on Team Melli players whereabouts and movements , denied that any players have been reprimanded or cautioned for indiscipline, according to his statement to ISNA.   The security section ensures that tight measures are implemented to deter the squad from meeting undesirable personnel from abroad especially opposition figures and remind everyone that they are being closely watched. However, the official declared tasks of this security apparatus is ensuring discipline and conforming to curfew hours , routine tasks that are assigned to Team Mangers in every other squad.

“As you might have witnessed, other squads like Oman and Bahrain have quite a lot of freedom of movements  and their players are seen to be coming and going out at will. Our team is much more disciplined and abide by the rules” . Haymathi said.

About the rumors of the caution for 3 players “That is totally false. We have not cautioned any player no singled out any squad member for disciplinary issues. Amir Hossein Sadeghi, Andranik Teymourian and Masoud Shojae have left the hotel for some medical treatment with the approval of Team Manager.”

It is not clear if Mr. Haymathi is attached to the FFIRI the Iranian Government Security and intelligence system.

Alireza Haghighi and Amir Hossein Sadeghi

Kaffashian leaves Team Melli in Australia and returns home!

Ali Kaffashian , the head of FFIRI has decided that he has seen enough of Team Melli after one match and will return back to Tehran to attend to “Important issues” according to him !

Kaffashian also attended the AFC congress in Australia.

While it is customary for the highest rank officials in the football federations of countries to head the delegations in important tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup , Ali Kaffashian , prefers to differ and does not share the same enthusiasm of other football fans or officials in watching and being close to Team Melli in their quest to win the Asian Cup.

In a short quote to the press in Australia, Kaffashian said “Mohammad Nabi is more than capable to handle all the issues with the team and manage the squad.” It has to be noted that a couple of weeks back , Kaffashian has fired Mohammad Nabi from his post for few hours and announced his decision to the media, before discovering that Team Melli will be without a Manager a few days before flying to Australia. A sudden U-turn allowed Mohammad Nabi to return to his post, although it seems to be a temporary measure .

Team Melli started the Asian Cup confidently with a win against Bahrain, will be playing Qatar 15tth Jan and UAE 19th Jan in Group C.

Iran vs. Bahrain match reports.

Iran floor Bahrain in Asian Cup thriller
Published: 11 January 2015

Ehsan Hajsafi struck with a sumptuous volley in first-half stoppage time to propel Iran to a 2-0 victory over Bahrain in a tempestuous Asian Cup dust-up today.

Iran, seeking to end a 39-year wait for a fourth title, effectively sealed the points in their Group C opener when Masoud Shojaei added a second in the 71st minute to end Bahrain’s brave resistance in Melbourne.

Asia’s top-ranked side, Iran almost opened the scoring after 20 minutes when the dangerous Ashkan Dejagah forced a smart stop from Sayed Abbas in the Bahrain goal.

But Bahrain had already served notice that they were not about to simply roll over as their bulldozing Nigerian-born striker Jaycee Okwunwanne blazed just wide during the frenetic early skirmishes.
Sayed Shubbar then squandered a golden opportunity by heading over as Bahrain threatened to capitalise on a sluggish start from highly fancied Iran.

However, Hajsafi produced a moment of magic with almost the last kick of the first half, expertly trapping a looping clearance with his left foot before instantaneously smashing it past Abbas with the outside of his right boot from just outside the box.

Reza Ghoochannejhad appeared to be incorrectly flagged for offside for a second time when through on goal shortly after the interval, before Okwunwanne almost emulated Hajsafi with a ferocious drive that Iran goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi did brilliantly to keep out.

Tempers flared when Haghighi barged into Faouzi Aaish, Bahrain’s waspish playermaker with a menacing-looking mohican who was a thorn in Iran’s side the entire game.

But moments later Shojaei popped up to steer a right-foot shot just inside the post from another corner to trigger wild celebrations from a crowd of 17,000 – most noisily supporting Team Melli.

Iran’s Asian Cup drought dates back to 1976, when they won the third of three successive titles.

Earlier, the United Arab Emirates laid down a marker by thrashing Qatar 4-1 to go top of the group on goal difference. – AFP, January 11, 2015.

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11 January 2015
Match video highlights

Melbourne: Ehsan Hajsafi scored an early contender for goal of the tournament as Iran made the perfect start to their bid to finally land a record-equalling fourth AFC Asian Cup title after posting a hard-fought 2-0 win over Bahrain in Group C on Sunday.

Bahrain had made a lively start to the contest, but after Iran improved as the half progressed, Hajsafi’s eye-catching strike opened the scoring for Team Melli in first half stoppage time.

And with Masoud Shojaei adding a second with 19 minutes remaining, 1968, 1972 and 1976 winners Iran joined the United Arab Emirates at the top of the Group C table after the opening round of fixtures following their earlier 4-1 win over Gulf Cup champions Qatar in Canberra.

Despite Iran’s supporters creating an electric atmosphere at a blustery Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Bahrain enjoyed the best of the early chances as Ismail Abdullatif tested goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi after just six minutes before strike partner Jaycee John acrobatically directed a back post volley wide two minutes later.

And Iran received a huge let off after 16 minutes as Sami Al Husaini’s chipped ball forward found Sayed Dhiya racing into the penalty area, but after beating a static offside trap, the midfielder headed over with only Haghighi to beat.

Iran, though, were presented with a golden opportunity to open the scoring four minutes later as Ashkan Dejagah raced in behind the Bahrain defence only for goalkeeper Sayed Mohamed Jaffar to crucially smoother his attempted chipped effort just outside the six-yard area.

But there was little Jaffar could do in first half stoppage time as Sepahan’s Hajsafi superbly found the top corner from the edge of the penalty area to the delight of the majority of the 18,000 crowd after taking one touch to control the ball after Andranik Teymourian’s corner had been punched clear by the Bahrain goalkeeper.

And Jaffar remained the busier of the two goalkeepers at the start of the second half as the Bahrain custodian gathered Reza Ghoochannejhad’s well-struck dipping shot from the edge of the area at the second time of asking four minutes after the break.

Iran goalkeeper Haghighi, though, had to be on his toes nine minutes later to beat away a rasping effort from Bahrain striker Jaycee John from underneath his crossbar.

But Bahrain’s hopes of a comeback were all put ended as Iran took full advantage with 19 minutes remaining as Teymourian’s corner found its way to Shojaei close to the penalty spot, and the midfielder saw his scuffed effort creep into the bottom corner despite a despairing dive from Jaffar.

Perfect start for Team Melli in AFC Asian Cup

 Team Melli defeated Bahrain 2-0 lead in the first match for the two teams in group C of the Asian cup. The goals scored in the dying seconds of the first half by Eshasan Hajsafi , while Masoud Shojaei made it 2-0 in the 71st minute in the second half..

Carlos Queiroz started with the nucleus of the world Cup team with two exceptions. Morteza Pouralganji and Vouriya Ghafoori were replacing Khosro Heydari and Amir Hossein Sadeghi in the defense line

hajsafy-scores-vs-Bahrain
Hajsafy’s strike seconds after his shoot floats over towards the goal.

The Iranian fans in the Melbourne created a wonderful atmosphere turning the Rectangle stadium into what the  Australian TV commentator called a “Mini Azadi”. The vociferous fans loud chant was only challenged by a very whistle happy Australian referee whose continuous whistling threatened to spoil what was an intriguing encounter. Both teams started lively sharing possessions without creating any serious scoring chances.

Ashkan Dejagah was by far the most active of Iran’s players on the right flank. He managed to give the Bahrain defense some real work out, however the ex- Fulham player delivery and finishing were quite poor in comparison to his skills and work rate . He missed a glorious chance to give Iran the lead when Hajsafy put him through with a brilliant pass in the box ,

Ashkan only managed to find Bahrain Keeper Seyed Jaffar’s legs instead while he had better options including squaring to unmarked Ghoochannejad,

The game went on with Iran having a strong grip on the match but the end product was lacking despite being the more controlling side.

And then came a brilliant piece of work by Ehsan Haj Safi from a corner kick in the finals seconds of the half.  Teymourian’s floating corner kick, was too close to   Bahrain Keeper Seyed Jaffar who ball punched  it away only to find Hajsafy. The Sepahan midfielder controlled the ball with a perfect touch before he chips a wonderful ball with side footing over a crowd of players in front of the goal into the net. A truly wonderful strike by one of the two best Iran players of the half.

 The first half ended 1-0

Shojaei sidefoots his shoot towards the far end of Bahrain keeper
Shojaei sidefoots his shoot towards the far end of Bahrain keeper

The second half continued with the rhythm of the first with both teams playing openly. The first real threat came from Bahrain on the stroke of the hour when Alireza Haghighi mad his first save of the match from a powerful strike by Bahrain’s Jessi John , whose ferocious shot was deflected by Iran’s keeper. However , 10 minutes later Haghighi left the crowd ins suspense and anxiety for a few seconds when he collected a ball and then ran into Bahrain’s Fouzi Aaish who dropped on the ground. The referee whistled for a foul, thankfully it was against Bahrain player who protested and was clearly upset at the decision. The replay clearly showed that it was in fact Haghighi who charged into Aayesh. Hs indiscretion and foolish act could have been quite costly except for the mercy of the Aussie referee.

Not long after that incident , Iranian fans were relieved to see Team Melli scoring again. in the 71st minute Masoud Shojaei , whose contribution to the team up to that moment was absolutely minimal , scored from another corner kick. The floating ball was sent to the left corner of the stretched arms of Bahrain keeper to end up in the net. 2-0 for Iran

With the 2 goal margin , Team Melli opted to control the match leaving the Bahraini team to venture forward. Queiroz introduced his new players , with Azmoun , Jahanbakhsh and finally Soroush Rafei coming into the game. Although their contribution were minimal , it gave the team a new look and certainly raised the confidence of the young players.

Despite Bahrain’s gallant attempts , except for one case where Haghighi had to deflect a shot into a corner, Iran defense remained solid and intact. The rookie Pouraliganji was superb in partnering the veteran Hosseini in the middle of the defense, Ghafoori on the right flank was also a revelation while Pooladi was the same solid defender of the World Cup games.

The lack of creativity on the midfield was quite evident. Nekounam and Teymourin doing their routine defensive duties and hardly venturing towards opposition territories. Masoud Shojaei , as poor as always and looked like a lost figure in the midfield simply walking the match off , while leaving the bulk of the offensive load on Hajsafy and Dejagah to feed Team Melli’s lone forward Reza Ghoochannejad who was trapped between 5 Bahrain defenders.

 Despite all the preparations problems and many side issues that the team and coach Queiroz had to endure with , this was perfect start for Team Melli . There was the obvious shortcomings but at the end of the day , Iran had the higher quality and experience to finish the match on winning all the 3 points and deservedly so.

History of Iran vs. Bahrain

The tiny Persian Gulf Island state of Bahrain , has given Iran quite a few problems in football matches.

In 1974 during the Asian games , Bahrain came to Tehran not so much to challenge the Big Boys of Asia , but more to learn how the masters of the continent play their football. A 6-0 drubbing against a Team Melli which had a large number of reserves players in the team , was the beginning of what looked like a long domination by mighty Iran.

However, the first shock to the Iranians came in 2000 in Syria, when Bahrain defeated team Melli in Damascus during the Asian Cup 2000 qualifiers, thus recording the first setback of Team Melli against the minnows. Despite winning 7 out of 16 matches played between the two, Iran’s record against Bahrain can hardly be described as dominant and assured.

The worst  result for Team Melli must have been the 3-1 defeat in Bahrain , when Iran needed just a draw to make it to the finals of the World Cup in 2002. This left a permanent mark in the ego of Team Melli and the fans especially since some Bahrain players did carried out unsportsmanship act by carrying the Saudi Arabian flag on their victory march at the end of the match.

This is only the 2nd time that the teams meet in the AFC Asian Cup finals. The first , back in 2004 in Workers Stadium , Beijing, China was the third place play off where Team Melli scored a 4-2 victory against the best team that Bahrain ever produced in its history.

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Quotes

Hadi Tabatabaei , Former Team Melli goalkeeper ” Bahrain is not going to be an easy team to defeat. One of the advantages of our team is their fighting spirit than can come to our advantage.”

“Since it is the first game of the competition , we need to tread carefully and ensure that we have strong defensive. We should not allow their players much maneuvering space. From what I have seen of other teams, our task is going b e quite hard to make it all the way, but let us not forget one of our strongest attributes and that is our fighting spirit .”

Vahid Talebloo, Former Team Melli goalkeeper “Our biggest advantage is the solid defense. We have performed very well in this area during the World Cup and since the standards in the Asian Cup is not as high as the World Cup , we should be doing fine. First matches always have this intriguing feel to it and can spring surprises. We did will in our first match against Nigeria in the World Cup and that gave us a boost for the nest against Argentina. We need to repeat that in Australia”

“I think we can make it to the finals but that is not going to be an easy job at all. There are so many strong teams in this edition and it is very difficult to pick a winner at this stage. We have the resolve, the quality and the willpower to make it all the way. the boys need to focus and do their best.”

Mahmoud Fekri , former Team Melli defender ” We must defeat Bahrain to have any chance of qualifying ti the next round. If we fail to qualify , then this is a real wake up call for Iran’s football and a disaster in making.”

“The normal cliché of the first match difficulties still applies, but the quality and standard of Iranian football is way above Bahrain’s despite this team being a stubborn opponent for us. If we have any aspiration , any claims for lifting the title , we have to win such matches. Let us not forget that our neighbors on the other side of the Persian Gulf , are progressing steadily and firmly in football. They have managed to build strong teams and are in the top ranks of Asian football.”

Mehdi Foonoonizadeh , Former Team Melli midfielder ” Considering the current team status and the poor preparation, I seriously doubt that our Team, Melli will be among the top 4 in this competition.”

“I also have virtually no hope of Team Melli lifting the trophy. In order to make the grade, the team should have had a proper program with as  many friendly games as possible starting way back. This team has not had such preparation and all that the coaching staff have done is to summarize a six months work in two-week of intensive physical training in South Africa and Australia. You cannot substitute proper training by intensified two weeks hard labour camp. One other problem in the team is the high average age of the players compared to other teams. We have not really embarked in renewing the blood in our Team Melli in earnest. I hope that Queiroz starts doing that in Australia.”

“Japan and then Australia , are the two strongest candidates for the championship. ”

 

Mohammed Hussain , Bahrain Captain and central defender “The difference in standards between Bahrain and Iran is marginal. However , we still have to play to our best level against Iran else it will be difficult for us.  We have several players playing in professional leagues out of Bahrain , many of them in Qatar where a number of Iranian national team players are also playing. We have a good knowledge about them and hopefully such knowledge will help us to gain the right result tomorrow.”

 

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Betting odds

Iran Win Draw Bahrain Win
1.62 3.5 6.25

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Match Details.

Iran vs. Bahrain

AFC Asian Cup 2015 – Group ‘C’

09:00 (GMT) – 12:30 (Tehran)

Rectangular Stadium , Melbourne.

Referee: Benjamin Williams (Australia)

Past records Head to Head 

H / A / N Matches W D L Goals + / –
Home 6 5 1 0 19 – 0 +19
Away 5 0 2 3 4 – 9 -5
Neutral 5 2 2 1 7 – 3 +4
Total 16 7 5 4 30 – 12 +18

 

Date Comp. H / A / N Final score Stadium Attendance
12.12.2012 WAFF N 0 – 0 Kazma SC Stadium, Kuwait City 1200
11.11.2011 World Cup Qualifier / Round 3 – Group E A 1 – 1 National Stadium – Riffa 18000
11.10.2011 World Cup Qualifier / Round 3 – Group E H 6 – 0 Azadi Stadium , Tehran 83000
24.09.2010 WAFF / Group A N 3 – 0 King Abdullah Stadium – Amman 12000
31.08.2009 Friendly A 2 – 4 NATIONAL STADIUM , Manama 1500
21.03.2008 Friendly A 0 – 1 National Stadium 3000
08.06.2005 World Cup Qualifier / Second Round H 1 – 0 Azadi – Tehran 90000
09.02.2005 World Cup Qualifier A 0 – 0 Manama 30000
06.08.2004 Asian Cup / 3rd Place N 4 – 2 Workers Stadium , Beijing 10000
19.10.2001 World Cup Qualifier / WCQ A 1 – 3 NATIONAL STADIUM , Manama 8000
14.09.2001 World Cup Qualifier / WCQ H 0 – 0 Azadi – Tehran 50000
07.04.2000 Asian Cup Qualifier / Group 2 H 3 – 0 Azadi – Tehran 40000
04.04.2000 Asian Cup Qualifier / Group 2 N 0 – 1 Al Hamdaniya Stadium , Aleppo 30000
03.10.1994 Asian Games / Group A N 0 – 0 Hiroshima 5000
20.08.1975 Olympics Qualifier H 3 – 0 Amjadiah – Tehran 25000
07.09.1974 Asian Games H 6 – 0 Amjadiah , Tehran 10000

Beigzadeh out of Team Melli squad.

Hashim Beigzadeh , Team Melli defender was put on the injured list after he broke his wrist during training in Melbourne.

Beigzadeh will not be able to play for a few weeks hence the Team coaching cadre opted to recall a replacement in Persepolis’s Mohammadreza Khanzadeh who is in Tehran. Khanzadeh was informed on the news while he was in a training session with his team. He bid farewell to his teammates and left the training urgently to prepare himself for the flight to Sydney.

Team Melli will be playing its first match against Bahrain on the 11th of January.

khanzadeh

Khanzadeh’s selection means that Persepolis will have at least 1 player in the squad , although the chances of him getting actual playing time is minimal. Interestingly enough , Khanzadeh faced the same situation in the World Cup being the spare player for the same Beigzadeh in Brazil. However , during the World Cup Beigzadeh recovered while Khanzadeh’s name was not included in the official 23 players list.

 

 

Jalal Hosseini ” the fans should not expect miracles.”

Jalal Hosseini , Team Melli central defender said “since Team Melli preparations was way behind the other opponents , the fans should not expect miracles.”

 Seyed Jalal Hosseini spoke to Mehr news agency about the conditions of Iranian national team six days before the opener match against Bahrain, He said: “Thanks God our physical condition is quite decent. Unfortunately, we did not have an ideal number of preparation friendly games and that is a crucial point. Therefore, we had to compensate with much preparative physical work. From the day we landed in Australia, we have worked quite hard to get in shape ready for the Asian Cup with hard and tough training.”

He added “we had a very good game against Iraq. I hope that despite all the hardships, the lack of preparatory friendly games, we manage in showcasing our abilities and qualities in the Asian Cup. The first game is very important in such tournaments in particular, since our first opponent in the tournament is Bahrain, the team that we usually have some difficulties against. Anyway, I hope we have a good start, then continue from there on”

Hosseini said that there is no point in regretting what happened and divulging about the level of team preparations. “No matter how long we have been in a training camp, it is not a substitute for playing strong friendly games against quality oppositions.  If you ask me whether our team’s preparation is on the same footing at the oppositions, I categorically say NO. However, this is all water under the bridge now. We must deal with this situation . Very little time is left to the start of the tournament.,  so we must not think about the past and feel sorry about ourselves , this is like shooting ourselves in the foot if we keep on about that. We simply have to carry on. In any case, the fact is that we are way behind the other teams in preparation programs. Each of them has done a dozen or so friendly games against strong teams. Ae are very backward. In that sense”

He added, however I strongly disagree with people who have demanded that Team Melli must win the title or at least reach the finals. The fact is that we have not had the proper preparation for such a strong tournament to justify such demand. The situation dictated upon us after our return from the World Cup , was as such that the team was sitting idle for 6 months without any games and meaningful program. Our squad had not had the chance for any match to see how the team performs with new players and what the benchmark is. Now we have many young players in our team. When players can show their real ability to have more opportunity to play together. We should not expect miracles from the team; however, we are of all our efforts we can make the people happy.”

Hosseini paid tribute to the new Team Melli players. The central defender, currently playing for Al AHli , admitted thy are quite a revelation with their hard work and stamina. “We have to accept that this group and others in the same level, are the future of Iran’s football. I am quite happy to see them paying so much attention and working their extreme best to impress in order to become established players.”

Ali Daei’s message of support to Nekounam

The legendary Ali Daei , holder of Team Melli all time appearance records with 149 international games and also the World top international scorer of all time , sent Javad Nekounam a support and inspiration message.

In his message , Daei congratulated Nekounam on his approach to breaking Daei’s record of national games and encouraged him to pursue this feat and show the world how Iran can perform well even under duress.

“I am aware that the coach is not entirely happy about the pre-tournament preparation and the acute lack of friendly games. I am aware that the conditions for the players and the coaching staff were not ideal, however, I believe in the Iranian team spirit. I am more than hopeful that this team will seek glory and make the Iranian fans jubilant and proud by performing to their maximum potential.”

“My best wishes to you as the leader and I wish you and the rest of players , the coaching staff and all involved in the Asian Cup mission , the very best. Be assured that we will all be behind you. I shall maintain my stance and will always be a Team Melli fan under all circumstances.”

Ali Daei has 149 games and 109 goals (Teammelli.com credits Daei with 112 goals). Javad Nekounam has 148 games and 37 goals.  It is expected that Nekounam will equal Daei’s games next Sunday against Bahrain.

Ali Daei is invited by AFC and the Asian Cup Organizing Committee as an honorary guest for the Finals of the Asian Cup. It is not clear if Daei will be attending Team Melli matches in Australia in person.

Iran finish on top against Iraq.

IRAN finished their Asian Cup preparations on a high note with a gritty 1-0 win over Middle Eastern rivals Iraq at WIN Stadium on Sunday.

Battling wet and windy conditions, the Group C powerhouse used a second half strike from Sardar Azmoun to tentatively confirm their status as a contender for the tournament.

Sardar pounched first on a loose ball near the centre circle ten minutes after the break to race away and poke home the winner.

It was a cruel blow for Iraq, who put in a spirited display and could have got more from the game.

Their skipper Younus Mahmood had a chance to level the scores from the penalty spot just minutes after the goal but tried to be too cute from 12-yards and chipped his attempt over the top.

He almost made amends shortly after but fired his effort into the post.

It punctuated a frenetic second half for both sides, who could have very well delighted the 5,745 people in attendance with another goal.

It wasn’t the case for much of the opening half, which looked to be plotting a similar course to the 0-0 between the Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC 24-hours earlier at the same venue.

Iraq had most of the ball throughout the opening quarter of an hour but rarely crafted any major opportunites. Striker Alaa Abdulzehra was the only player who really tested Iranian keeper Ali Reza Beiranvand but his tame header was easily dealt with between the sticks.

Their early dominance quickly faded as the higher FIFA-ranked outfit began to impose themselves of the match.

Vahid Amiri should have opened the scoring for Iran following a swift counter attack on 20-minutes. When the ball broke on halfway, Sardar latched onto the counter on the right and found Amiri, who somehow managed to fire over from close range.

He looked to make up for the miss before the half when he was allowed to cruise towards goal by some standoffish Iraqi defence. His long range attempt was eventually parried away into the path of Vorya Ghafouri, but again the chance was put over the top.

Amiri’s night was summed up in the final seconds of the match when he again put his attempt over the top when it seemed easier to score

five star players and five must-see games

Sebastian Hassett

 , The Sydney Morning Herald , Football reporter

 

Quick on the ball: Attacking midfielder Ashkan Dejagah will be a threat in Group C for Iran.Quick on the ball: Attacking midfielder Ashkan Dejagah will be a threat in Group C for Iran.

 

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ashkan Dejagah (Iran) 

Iran v Nigeria: Group F - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil
One to watch: South Korean superstar Son Heung-Min dazzles against Paraguay. Photo: Getty Images

You might have seen Dejagah before, for his two years with Fulham in the English Premier League will have many fans well-aware of his dazzling talents. Granted, they weren’t enough to keep the Cottagers in the top flight, and Dejagah duly swapped the rigours of the Championship for the riches of Al-Arabi. The Qatari club didn’t mind shelling out to get him, either – they had to pay up to $12 million to bring him across. He’s worth every cent. Probably the quickest player on the ball in the entire continent, with his blistering pace on the ball arguably the biggest weapon Iran has at their disposal. Dejagah is at his best when he’s given room to move out wide and he’ll give great service to Iran’s front line, led capably by Reza Ghoochannejhad and Karim Ansarifard. He hasn’t always produced his best form for Team Melli but they certainly need him to this January.

Khalfan Ibrahim (Qatar) 

Flashback to 2006 and the Asian football world was more than a little shocked at the AFC awards night when the name Khalfan Ibrahim was named as Asian player of the year. He’d only made his international debut that same year, aged 18, although it was the year Qatar won football gold at the Asian Games and Ibrahim was the key player. He would throw in the occasional starring role thereafter but apart from a blinding 2008-09 season with Al Sadd (scoring 15 goals in 21 games), his potential probably wasn’t being realised. But after rediscovering his scoring boots in 2011, he hasn’t looked back, landing some incredible goals for club and country (his one-man “Maradona” effort against Al-Rayyan is a must-see on YouTube). He’s only ever played for Al-Sadd (his father’s club) but would cut it any league in the world. Expect to find him on the left-side of the attacking front three – and expect to see him dazzling the crowds with his dribbling and finishing.

Son Heung-min (South Korea) 

There’s a fine tradition developing of young Korean and Japanese footballers plying their trade in Germany and Son may very well be the best of them. Since swapping Hamburg for the mighty Bayer Leverkusen in 2013, his career has gone from strength to strength. Still only 22, who knows how good he’ll become in the coming years. He’s been linked in the past few weeks with a $38 million switch to the premiership – where Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham are said to be potential suitors. Not a bad list of admirers, although Bayern Munich would surely fancy him as potential replacement for their ageing wingers. This is the youngest South Korean team seen for some time and it looms as the most exciting generation since the 2002 side that went all the way to the semi-finals of the World Cup on home soil. Without question, Son will be their creative inspiration for years to come.

Keisuke Honda (Japan) 

Has probably wrestled back the “best player in Asia” tag after Shinji Kagawa’s recent troubles at club level. After struggling at first in Italy, he’s now adjusted and is arguably the best player at AC Milan and one of the best in Serie A. What makes Honda so good is simple: his razor-sharp technique is up there with the very best in the world. That amazing first touch and control means he is rarely thrown off, even by very physical players. He’s adept as a big-game player and loves the grand stage, as evidenced in winning the Asian Cup golden ball four years ago. He’s now 28 and has only improved as a player since, maturing into a world-class playmaker. Deadly from set-pieces, he’s also a huge goal-scoring threat, and is just as capable splitting open a defence with the deftest of passes. He’s got a certain swagger – confidence or arrogance, depending on your view – that some find off-putting but when you’re this good, why not?

Omar Abdulrahman (United Arab Emirates)

Big hair, bigger talent. Is coming into this tournament under an injury cloud but if he’s anywhere near full-fitness, watch out world. This is the guy who might just change how you think about Middle-Eastern footballers. There are probably only a few clubs in the world who could fork out the transfer fee his club, Al-Ain, will seek. Not that the club’s owner, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, needs to sell a player of his huge talent – although Manchester City (also owned by Abu Dhabi royal family) are tracking him and may be an obvious fit. The worry is that he hasn’t played since picking up an ankle injury in the Gulf Cup semi-final against Saudi Arabia in November and has scarcely trained since. Be hopeful he’s feeling on his game: his ability to control a match makes him a contender to knock off Honda and co as the best player in Asia. In this Asian Cup, the Emirates’ destiny lands on his shoulders.