Tag: AFC Asian Cup 2019

Venezuela also cancels the friendly match!

FFIRI has received a message from its Venezuelan counterpart stating that its national team which was supposed to be in Tehran on 20th November to face Team Melli, will not be able to appear.

 

According to FFIRI spoke person Homeira Asadi, the Venezuelans have stated that several of their players are resident in the USA and hence will be unable to join the squad. Asadi declined to comment on whether the FFIRI will seek compensation from the Venezuela FA for such move.

After this cancellation , Team Melli will play against Trinidad and Tobago and Qatar before flying to UAE for the AFC Asian Cup 2019.

Iran and Qatar to meet in a friendly

Team Melli will probably be playing its last preparation match against Qatar on the last day of the year to complete its schedule before flying to the UAE to compete in the AFC Asian Cup 2019.

The Qatar Football Association has announced the program for its national team which includes four matches against Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Algeria and Iran.

Team Melli will be playing against Trinidad and Venezuela before meeting Qatar.

There was no confirmation from FFIRI on this match., but that is pretty much expected.

Marginal win for Team Melli vs Bolivia

Iran’s Team Melli defeated Bolivia 2-1 at Azadi this evening. The game was the second in a series of matches that Queiroz have arranged in preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2019

The first half ended 1-0 to Iran from a goal scored by Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the 17th minute.  Bolivia tied the match from a fantastic volley by Rudy Cardoso on the 51st minute.  Mehdi Torabi then scored the winner on the 63rd minute. His second in as many games for Team Melli.

The starting line up of Team Melli was a pleasant surprise as Queiroz sent an offensive team with one recognized defensive midfielder in Omid Ebrahimi. At front, the full force of Team Melli in the shape of Azmoun, Taremi and Jahanbakhsh  while the midfield was orchestrated by Saman Ghoddos who rarely starts for Team Melli despite enjoying g a highly successful season in the French League.

Queiroz attempt at offensive game plan came in front of a relatively weak team from Latin America. Despite much better possession  percentage and more shots on goal , Team Melli players were going through the same old problems that has marred their game for many years, poor finish and poor last ball. Jahanbakhsh , Azmoun and Taremi wasted many chances due to weak control or inaccurate shots.

The two prominent players in this half were Saman Ghoddos and Sadegh Moharrami.

The defense line up was lacking the presence of injured Morteza Pouraliganji and was quite short of experience.  It is obvious that Queiroz needs a lot of work to mend this fragile defense line. Biranvand, once again showed his weak side and unreliable goaltending when his suspect positioning resulted in the Bolivia goal.

Despite the fatigue by Bolivian Team, they managed to contain the Iranian offensives easily. Team Melli players did not help themselves with their own poor finishing, inaccurate passes, and wasted final balls.

Overall, this match against a team that has no relation to the style and type of football that is going to be played in the Asian Cup, did not give confidence to the fans that Iran is really able to mount a serious challenge for the title. Queiroz, who is by now becoming so unpredictable in whatever he does, realizes more than  anyone what an uphill battle is ahead especially when the likes of Japan , Australia and Korea are preparing against stronger teams and achieving good results.

The two lines that have disappointed the most were the forwards and the defense. Taremi does not have the quality to perform at the highest level and there is very little that Queiroz can do about that. However, the better tactical and skilful duo , Jahanbakhsh and Azmoun were both lethargic like despite the former scoring the lucky goal.

With two remain matches before the Asian Cup, Queiroz will have more opportunity to experiment before opting to filed an offensive minded team in UAE or revert back to his comfort zone of defense.

 

Trinidad and Tobago announces squad to face Iran.

Trinidad and Tobago Senior Men’s Team head coach Dennis Lawrence today announced a 20-man roster for the October 14th International Friendly against Thailand.

The squad remains basically the same from the one that defeated United Arab Emirates 2-0 last month with Israel-based winger Levi Garcia still missing with injury. Making into the squad is forward Ricardo John. Lawrence also invited three Under 21 players to train with the squad on local soil over the weekend before the team’s departure for Thailand. Those players are Kierron Mason, Judah Garcia and Tyrese Bailey.

The TTFA also announced that a friendly against Iran , which is preparing its National team for the AFC Asian Cup 2019, has been secured to be played in Tehran on November 15th.

Iran played Trinidad in a friendly before the FIFA World Cup 2014 and defeated the Caribbean nation 2-0

 

Trinidad Squad

  • ADRIAN FONCETTE
  • MARVIN PHILLIP
  • SHELDON BATEAU
  • DANEIL CYRUS
  • AUBREY DAVID
  • KEVAN GEORGE
  • CUPTIS GONZALES
  • ATAULLA GUERRA
  • RICARDO JOHN
  • TRISTON HODGE
    AKEEM HUMPHREY
  • KHALEEM HYLAND
  • JOEVIN JONES
  • KESTON JULIEN
  • NATHAN LEWIS
  • DUANE MUCKETTE
  • LESTON PAUL
  • JOMAL WILLIAMS
  • SHAHDON WINCHESTER
  • ALVIN JONES

Team Melli to meet Trinidad and Venezuela in friendly matches.

As part of the ongoing preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2019, Iran’s Team Melli will face Venezuela next month after the proposed match against Trinidad and Tobago.

According to ISNA, Venezuelan media have announced that the their national football team is scheduled to meet in a friendly international with the Iranian national team next month. On this basis, the friendly match between Team Melli and Venezuela will be held at Azadi Stadium on Tuesday, 20th November.

Earlier, foreign sources had announced that Team Melli is scheduled to hold a friendly international against Trinidad on Thursday 15th November. The Iranian national team will also play at home next week against Bolivia. The two teams Iran and Venezuela have recently met in Nijmegen, Netherlands,  where the match ended 1-0 for Iran.

As customary by now, there are no official word from the football federation on these matches!

Carlos Queiroz to quit after the World Cup 2018

Source: Reuters

Carlos Queiroz will not remain at the helm of Iran after the conclusion of the country’s involvement in the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

Former Real Madrid coach Queiroz, who has been in charge of Team Melli since April 2011, had been offered an extension to his contract by the Iranian Football Federation until January’s Asian Cup finals in the United Arab Emirates.

But the 65-year-old has decided to call time on his seven-year stint with Iran after the FIFA World Cup, where they have been drawn to take on Morocco, Spain and Portugal in Group B.

“It’s almost one year since we qualified for the World Cup and it’s true that they gave me an offer to go for six months to the Asian Cup in the Emirates, but it didn’t meet my expectations,” Queiroz said by telephone from his team’s training camp in Turkey.

“After all these years, for the Iranian federation to only extend the contract for six months is a decision that shows no appreciation or recognition for what I’ve done. It’s an offer that isn’t acceptable from my point of view.

“The negotiations are closed, they are behind me.

“Before we came here to Istanbul the federation was supposed to review the position and they did not come back to me, so from now on it’s time to move forward.”

Queiroz had considered retiring after the FIFA World Cup to spend more time with his family, but now wants to become the first coach to secure qualification for the FIFA World Cup finals on five occasions.

Brazilian Carlos Alberto Pereira and Serbian Bora Milutinovic have coached five times at the FIFA World Cup, with both taking charge of teams that had either qualified as hosts or stepped in as replacement coaches for already qualified nations.

Queiroz, however, qualified South Africa for the FIFA World Cup in 2002 only to step down from his position before the finals in Japan and Korea.

He then led Portugal to the 2010 tournament in South Africa before becoming the first coach to secure back-to-back FIFA World Cup appearances with Iran, and he is keen to lead another country to the finals in Qatar in 2022.

“After all these years in Iran there was the possibility that I would retire after the World Cup,” said Queiroz.

“But, in the meantime, the dissatisfaction at not qualifying for a fifth World Cup started to grow.

“It started to speak louder and the more I started to think more about that unique historical opportunity, to be the only coach in football history to have five World Cup qualifications under my belt, my anger and desire started to grow and this is now my main goal and my expectation.

“I’ve had two offers, one from Africa and one from Asia with the chance to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and if that doesn’t happen then I can look at one or two options that I have in England after the World Cup.”

Daei “Iran will win the AFC Asian Cup”

The legendary Ali Daei has explained his confidence over Iran winning the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 title.

“Iran has been Asia’s top team for the last few years for a reason: the consistency of the technical team,” Daei said in an interview with AFC.

“There have been very few changes in the technical team’s setup and the stability has allowed coach Carlos Queiroz to focus on building a formidable squad. Queiroz has also looked far and wide for the best players and this has had a positive effect on the national team,” the former Iran captain added.

Iran is Asia’s top side in the FIFA World Ranking and was also the first team from the continent to seal a place in the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, confirming its place last June.

The team finished the World Cup qualifiers unbeaten and Daei, 49, is expecting the form to be carried into the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, with Iran lifting the trophy.

The last of Iran’s three triumphs in the AFC Asian Cup was in 1976, meaning that it will be 43 years since Team Melli last won the title by the time the action in UAE 2019 kicks off next January.

“I am confident that Iran will win this time around. We have always been a force to be reckoned with in the AFC Asian Cup but the recent results give me confidence that we will win the title for the fourth time,” said Daei.

 

The AFC Asian Cup may have eluded Daei as a player but it is a tournament which is dear to his heart, as it paved the way for his big move to Germany in 1996.

In emerging top scorer in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, also hosted by the UAE, Daei hit four of his tournament haul of eight goals in the 6-2 win over South Korea in the quarterfinals.

“There was a Korean player who was playing in Germany at that time and he convinced several coaches to scout for players during the 1996 AFC Asian Cup. The four goals I scored in that match played a pivotal role for me signing with Arminia Bielefeld.”

His stay in Germany also saw stints with Bayern Munich and Hertha BSC.

Plying his trade in Europe brought much success to one of Iran’s footballing sons and Daei is hoping that come the AFC Asian Cup 2019, not only will more of his compatriots secure moves to the big European leagues but Iran lift a long overdue title.

“I missed a penalty in the semifinal against Saudi Arabia and we lost, but I know that it can be different this time around,” he added.

Daei holds the record for the most goals in international football with a total of 109 goals he scored in 149 games for Team Melli (from 1993-2006).

Iran to face Iraq, Yemen and Vietnam in AFC Asian Cup 2019

The draw for the AFC Asian Cup was held In a grand spectacle at the United Arab Emirates Burj Khalifa,

Team Melli , Asia’s best ranked side, who are looking to secure their fourth title and their first since 1976, were drawn in Group D alongside 2007 winners Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen, who will be appearing in their first tournament since their unification.

 Hosts UAE, who were positioned in first place in Group A, will kick-off Asia’s most prestigious tournament against Bahrain at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on January 5, 2019.

The host nation will be looking to improve on their second place finish the last time the competition was held in the UAE in 1996, but will face formidable opponents in India and Thailand who complete the cast in Group A.

Meanwhile defending champions Australia were drawn in Group B with 2004 and 2011 quarter-finalists Jordan, Palestine, and Syria, who return to the competition following their absence in Australia 2015.

Continent powerhouses and 2015 finalists Korea Republic, who are on the hunt for their first title since 1960, were drawn in Group C with two-time runners-up China PR as well as two debutants in the UAE 2019 – Kyrgyz Republic and Philippines.

In Group E, two-time champions Saudi Arabia were drawn with 2011 hosts Qatar, Lebanon, who will be returning to the competition for only the second time after a 19 year absence as well as DPR Korea.

The tournament’s most successful side with four titles, Japan are in Group F and will face Uzbekistan, who have progressed past the group stage for the last four editions of the competition as well as Oman and Turkmenistan.

In an action-packed night graced by some of the biggest names in Asian football, the final draw also introduced a USD$14.8 million total prize money, the unveiling of a stunning new trophy, a cutting-edge Molten match ball and the launch of the tournament’s official mascots – Mansour and Jarrah.

The Zayed Sports City Stadium will also host the final on February 1, 2019 after 28 days of enthralling action with the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium and Al Nahyan Stadium hosting the remaining matches in Abu Dhabi.

Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium will host the matches in Al Ain and Sharjah Stadium in the Emirate of Sharjah. Al Maktoum Stadium and Al Rashid Stadium are the two venues in Dubai.

UAE wins AFC Asian Cup 2019 hosting rights

Manama: The AFC Executive Committee decided on Monday to award the hosting rights of the 2019 edition of the confederation’s flagship competition, the AFC Asian Cup, to the United Arab Emirates.

Two AFC Member Associations, the United Arab Emirates Football Association and the IR Iran Football Federation, had submitted final bids to host the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

The Executive Committee, during its meeting in Manama, Bahrain, awarded the hosting rights following a transparent, detailed and highly competitive bidding process, which began with 11 competing Member Associations.  The decision was based on the respective merits of the bids which covered a range of objective criteria including stadiums, transport, infrastructure, hotels, visas and various other sporting, logistical and administrative issues. The AFC Competitions Committee was involved in all stages of the bid process.

At the end of the meeting, AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa signed the AFC Asian Cup 2019 hosting certificate together with UAE Football Association President Yousuf Yaqoob Yousuf Al Serkal.

AFC President Shaikh Salman said: “I would like to congratulate the UAE Football Association on their successful bid to host the AFC Asian Cup 2019.

“The AFC Executive Committee was convinced by the merits of the UAE bid. I firmly believe that the UAE Football Association will host a tournament that could match and potentially even surpass the stunning AFC Asian Cup 2015 in Australia that we have all just witnessed.”

 

Kaffashian “I have no idea why Mozambique match was cancelled !”

The President of the Football Federation Ali Kaffashian said that he has no idea at all why the friendly match against Mozambique in Johannesburg was cancelled.

“We have been informed that the training camp is going well and the players are working hard, but the cancellation of that friendly match took us by surprise here. It was purely a decision by Queiroz. I have no idea what was the reason for this cancellation.”

This statement , once again highlights the breakdown of communication and lack of coordination between the FFIRI administrators and the Team Melli management.

Ali Kaffashian was talking to ISNA after his meeting with the AFC inspection committee that is visiting Iran as part of the formalities related to Iran’s candidacy for hosting the AFC 2019 Asian Cup.

Asked if Iran stands a chance against the rest of the applicants, UAE, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, Kaffashian said that, much depends on the power of a country’s lobbing power “I would say something like 80% to 90% of our chances of winning the hosting depends on how influential we are with the voters. We have been working very hard on that front. Right now we need to show the infrastructure and the state of readiness to the AFC committee.” Kaffashian commented.

“With the finalists increased to 24 , we stand a better chance for hosting because not many of the other competitors can provide 6 cities with the required facilities as we can.” remarked Kaffashian

Earlier in the week, Kaffashian announced that he will be running for a third term as the head of FFIRI. “I have been criticized a lot and my administration had to endure a lot of hardship during the two terms. Some of the words uttered against me were harsh an affected me, after all I am a human with a feeling. But.. I have performed well during these two terms and I can give more , that is why I have decided to run again.”

Asked to comment on the recently appointed management committee of Persepolis by the Ministry of Youth & Sports , Kaffashian said “I only know Hamid Estili and Dr. Zadmehr. The rest of them are alien to me , but we will work them and attempt to know them closely for the benefit of the club.”