Team Melli defeated Uzbekistan 1-0 in front of disappointing number of fans in Azadi Stadium on Saturday. The goal was scored in the 17th minute by Esteghlal’s defender Rouzbeh Cheshmi from a beautiful header following a corner by Ehsan Haj Safy, to register his goal first with the National Team.

Queiroz opted for an experimental line up with two debutants included , Amir Ahmadzadeh in goal and Majeed Hosseini in defence. The rest of the line up was a mixture of players.

On the other hand, Uzbekistan selected a very mew look team after the disappointment of not making the World Cup while being so close, for the third time running. The young team. coached by ex-National Team Captain Timur Kapadze gave the more experienced Iranians a run for their money. the goalkeeper Botirali Ergashev who has left Pakhtakor in February to join Navbahor , was absolutely brilliant in Uzbekistan goal.

On the other end, many eyes were focused on Amir Abedzadeh who plays in the Portuguese league and has the legacy of his father on his shoulder. Abedzadeh junior , did not disappoint although he played one half only. Signs that Carlos Queiroz is not happy with the standard of current no 1 , Alireza Biranvand was confirmed as he sent Hossein Hosseini in the second half.  Biranvand has been a liability with Persepolis recently and his performance has made many observers nervous and skeptical about him guarding the goals in Russia.

Team Melli revealed the official Jersey supplied by Adidas.

In general, it was a good practise for the team , with the Saipa pair Gholizadeh and Torabi playing really well and making a strong case for themselves for a place in the final squad. The only real worry is the poor finishing at the front. Although all the main offensive players and the fire-power of Ansarifard, Taremi and Ghoochannejad were playing, their performance was lacklustre and not oozing with confidence. They also failed to score in front of the young Uzbek team creating little threat.

Team Melli will be leaving Tehran on Monday after meeting the President Dr. Rouhani , on a long training camp starting with a trip to Istanbul were they will continue preparing with a friendly against Turkey.

Team Melli will meet Uzbekistan in an international friendly warm-up match in of preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The match is scheduled to be played on May 19 in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.

“Team Melli 2018 World Cup jerseys have not been revealed yet to avoid counterfeits. The Iran national team kit will be unveiled in the match against Uzbekistan,” Mehdi Taj , the President of FFIRI said.

With less than two months left until the start of the 2018 World Cup, the Iranian federation and kit supplier Adidas have not unveiled Team Melli’s kit and the federation has been highly criticized by the media and the fans for the delay while almost all other nations have revealed their official jersey.

Although Mehdi Taj cited piracy as a reason for this delay, the truth according to insiders lies elsewhere. There has been some talk of diagreement between the Kit Supplier and FFIRI on financial terms. It is also been alleged that the quality that was offered , was not the top that the German manufacturer has in its inventory. Queiroz was not too happy with the quality on offer. However, there was no independent source to confirm these allegations.

Endangered Asiatic Cheetah was imprinted on Team Melli’s jersey during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, but it seems the image will not be stamped on Iran’s kit in the 2018 World Cup. The Last Kit was supplied by UHLSports which had a turbulent relationship with the FFIRI. There were several accusation of inferior quality with the kit supplied by UHLSports. There were accusations by both sides and eventually the contract was not renewed.

Carlos Queiroz’s team have been drawn in Group B of the 2018 World Cup along with Spain, Morocco and Portugal. The Iran national football team will open the campaign with a match against Morocco at Saint Petersburg on June 15.

The Atlas Lions are roaring again. Twenty years after a heartbreaking elimination from the group stage at France ’98, the first African team to reach the last 16 are back at the World Cup. Morocco, the only African team to qualify for Russia without conceding a goal, have built their game on solid defence and hard work. The experience of Karim El Ahmadi, M’barek Boussoufa and Juventus’s Mehdi Benatia fits well with the intelligence of Hakim Ziyech and the strength of Nordin Amrabat. Hervé Renard is in charge but the advice coming from one of his assistants, Patrice Beaumelle, is vital. The former Coventry City midfielder Mustapha Hadji is also key in the setup, sharing his experiences and acting as a role model for this generation. The team’s main weakness used to be on the left but Real Madrid’s Achraf Hakimi has filled the gap admirably since September.

However, under the guiding hand of Herve Renard, the Atlas Lions emerged unbeaten in their six matches – without conceding a single goal and scoring 11 in the process – to book their first finals spot in 20 years.

The 42nd best side on the planet according to FIFA’s rankings, they’ll need something special to match their 1986 achievement of getting through the group stage, having been paired with Iberian duo Spain and Portugal.

But a defence marshalled by Juventus’ Medhi Benatia and Wolves’ Romain Saiss has proven itself tough to break down, while an attack containing Ajax star Hakim Ziyech and Southampton’s Sofiane Boufal is full of (albeit inconsistent) talent.

They open up against the similarly durable Iran; win that, and they could prove themselves a real nightmare for Portugal in their second game.

Form guide

With three wins and three draws – including a 2-0 win in Ivory Coast in their must-not-lose finale – Morocco made their way to Russia, navigating a potentially tricky group.

Reached last year’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final – losing to finalists Egypt.

Star player

A former Netherlands Under-21 international, Ajax playmaker Hakim Ziyech has become an increasingly important cog in the Moroccan midfield under Renard.

Talented and strong – not unlike Spurs’ Mousa Dembele – he has flourished with the Dutch giants since moving into a deeper role.

At 25, he has 13 caps and seven goals to his name. As he enters his prime, he can make this his team.

Achraf Hakimi made his senior Real Madrid debut earlier this season and has proven himself a more than able deputy for Dani Carvajal when the Spaniard has been absent.

Born in Madrid to parents of Moroccan descent, Hakimi joined Los Blancos as an eight year old and now, at 19, is beginning to make an impact.

Made his full international debut in 2016 and will vie for a place with veteran Fenerbahce full-back Nabil Dirar for a starting spot.

How they qualified Winners African Group C (round three) ahead of Ivory Coast

Preferred system 4-5-1

Star player Hakim Ziyech (Ajax)

One to watch Sofiane Boufal (Southampton)

Manager Hervé Renard

Odds 250-1

Head 2 Head

The two teams have not met recently. Only once previously the team played against each other that was 16 years back with different generations of footballers. That match has no bearings on the encounter in St. Petersburg