Tag: Dubai

TEAM MELLI TROUNCES QATAR TO GO TOP OF GROUP ‘A’

Iran’s Team Melli Triumphs 4-1 Over Qatar in World Cup 2026 Qualifier

Team Melli soared to the top of Group A in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round 3 qualifiers after a commanding 4-1 victory over Qatar on Tuesday. The win was powered by braces from Sardar Azmoun and Mohammad Mohebbi.

The match began with an early scare for Iran when, in the 17th minute, Almoez Ali broke free from his marker, Ali Nemati, and fired a shot into the roof of Alireza Beiranvand’s goal to put Qatar ahead. Iran responded late in the first half with Azmoun’s powerful header, which left the Qatari goalkeeper rooted to the spot. Omid Nourafkan delivered a precise cross from the left, and Azmoun’s clinical finish drew Iran level. Before that equalizer, Azmoun came close by rattling the crossbar, marking Iran’s best chance in the first half. Despite this, the opening 45 minutes ended in a 1-1 stalemate, with neither side fully controlling the game.

In the second half, Iran took command with fluid passing and excellent ball distribution, creating multiple chances and dictating the pace against the reigning AFC Asian Cup champions. Just three minutes into the half, Qatar’s goalkeeper Meshaal Bersham collided with his own defender while attempting to clear the ball, gifting Azmoun an easy opportunity to tap home his second goal and put Iran ahead.

In the 66th minute, Mohammad Mohebbi further deflated Qatar’s hopes with Iran’s third goal. A well-placed through ball found Azmoun just inside the Qatari half, and his blistering run into the box ended with a perfectly timed pass to the onrushing Mohebbi, who slotted the ball into an open net.

Mohebbi sealed the victory late in stoppage time with a second goal, heading home from Nourafkan’s corner to make it 4-1. The win lifted Iran to the top of the group, surpassing Uzbekistan on goal difference.

This was a crucial and comprehensive win for coach Amir Ghalenoei, who had been facing criticism and pressure to shake up the lineup amid injuries, suspensions and dips in form. Despite a few key absences, the coach fielded a balanced and powerful lineup. Mohammad Karimi, Nourafkan, and Nemati, despite Nemati’s early lapse that led to Qatar’s opener, performed well in their roles as replacements, proving Ghalenoei’s tactics effective on the day.

Iran vs Qatar: Who dares wins.

Team Melli Prepares for Crucial Showdown Against Qatar in World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

On Tuesday, Iran’s national football team, Team Melli, will face AFC Asian Cup holders Qatar in Dubai for a pivotal match in Group A of the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-round qualifiers. Both teams are vying for qualification to the prestigious tournament, with Iran and Uzbekistan currently tied at the top of the group on seven points, ahead of the UAE and Qatar, who each have four points. This match represents a significant opportunity for both sides to either consolidate or reinvigorate their campaign as they inch closer to World Cup qualification.

The Dubai Venue: A Blessing in Disguise

While many Iranian football fans and pundits lament the fact that Team Melli has been denied the opportunity to host this match on home soil, playing in Dubai may, in fact, prove advantageous for the team. Iran’s football infrastructure has been under scrutiny for years, and the current state of the pitches—especially as the iconic Azadi Stadium undergoes construction and maintenance—is widely regarded as subpar. In a country with a deep footballing history, it is a matter of national embarrassment that Iran lacks proper pitches, forcing matches to be played on surfaces that are sometimes no better than “cattle grazing grounds.”

Beyond the poor pitch conditions, organizational and logistical issues have plagued Iranian football for some time. These include chaotic fan entry procedures, frequent promotion of political propaganda during matches, heavy-handed security, unruly fan behavior, and restrictions on women entering stadiums.

In contrast, Dubai is an exemplary venue for hosting top-tier international football. The city, like Doha, boasts professional and efficient sporting event management. The superior facilities, along with the fact that Dubai hosts a large and passionate Iranian expatriate community, means that Team Melli will likely enjoy strong support from the stands, creating a home-away-from-home atmosphere. This level of comfort could be vital for the team, as they aim to secure all three points.

Team Melli’s Lineup and Tactical Challenges

Despite the absence of three key players due to injury or suspension, Team Melli enters the match with a slight edge over Qatar, both in terms of experience and talent. However, the long-standing concern for Iran has been the predictability of its tactics. Under the guidance of head coach Amir Ghalenoei, the team has stuck to a direct style of play, often relying on “route one” football—long balls and counterattacks. This approach has neither been attractive to watch nor particularly effective, especially considering Iran boasts two of Asia’s most talented forwards, Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun.

Shockingly, between Taremi and Azmoun—who are considered among the continent’s elite strikers—there has been just one goal scored in Team Melli’s first three matches of the qualifiers. Iran’s total of two goals in those games is woefully low, especially for a team with such firepower. While some of the blame can be attributed to poor finishing, a deeper analysis reveals that the style of play is a major factor. The lack of creativity and quality in service from midfield has resulted in few genuine scoring opportunities for Taremi and Azmoun.

Ghalenoei’s focus on defensive solidity has come at the expense of offensive fluidity. The forwards have been isolated, often relying on half-chances to make an impact. If Iran is to improve its scoring output, the coach may need to adopt a more balanced approach, allowing the midfield to support the attack more consistently.

Qatar’s Resurgence and Threats

Qatar, on the other hand, has shown steady improvement since their disappointing home defeat against the UAE on the opening day of the qualifiers. The reintroduction of defensive stalwarts Abdulkarim Hassan and Boualem Khoukhi has shored up the backline, while their attack, led by the dynamic duo of Akram Afif and Almoez Ali, continues to be dangerous. Unlike Iran, Qatar has shown clinical finishing ability, often converting half-chances into goals. This efficiency in front of goal could be a decisive factor in Tuesday’s match.

Qatar’s counter-attacking style and ability to capitalize on mistakes make them a dangerous opponent for Team Melli. The Iranian defense will need to remain organized and vigilant, as Afif and Almoez have the pace and skill to punish any lapses in concentration.

Iran’s Key Players and Defensive Resilience

While Iran’s attack has struggled, their defense has been one of the team’s bright spots, keeping a clean sheet through the first three matches of the qualifiers. Much of this defensive solidity is owed to the emergence of Ali Nemati, who delivered a standout performance in his debut against Uzbekistan. Nemati’s calm and assured presence in the backline, stepping in for the injured Hossein Kanaanizadegan, was a revelation. If he can replicate that form against Qatar, Iran’s defense will have a solid foundation to build on.

In midfield, Saeid Ezatollahi has also begun to rediscover his form. After a string of underwhelming performances, the Shabab Al-Ahli midfielder put in a commanding display in the last match. Playing on his club’s home ground in Dubai, Ezatollahi will be expected to pull the strings and control the tempo of the game. The absence of the suspended Saman Ghoddos places extra creative responsibility on Ali Gholizadeh and Mehdi Ghayedi, both of whom have the flair and skill to unlock defenses. If Ghalenoei opts to start these two dynamic players, Iran could pose a more varied and unpredictable attacking threat.

Taremi and Azmoun: Time to Deliver

For all of Iran’s defensive resilience, the onus will ultimately fall on Taremi and Azmoun to deliver in front of goal. Both players have been underperforming for Team Melli in recent games, and their form will be crucial if Iran is to break down Qatar’s defense. In a match of this magnitude, the big players need to step up, and Taremi and Azmoun must rediscover their scoring touch if Iran is to secure the win and remain atop Group A.

A Match of Fine Margins

Tuesday’s clash in Dubai promises to be a tight, tense affair, with both teams capable of taking all three points. While Iran may hold a slight advantage on paper, Qatar’s recent resurgence and clinical finishing mean that the match could swing either way. For Team Melli, a win would solidify their position as group leaders and bring them one step closer to World Cup qualification, while for Qatar, a victory would reignite their campaign.

As both teams prepare for this crucial encounter, the stage is set for an intriguing contest between two of Asia’s footballing giants.

Look back at Team Melli’s game plan.

Team Melli played a goal-less draw against Uzbekistan, its main rival in Group A of the third round qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Tashkent.

The match was not crowd-pleasing, with both teams playing ultra-cautiously, focusing on solidifying their defenses to avoid conceding the first goal.

Uzbekistan, even at home and without Head Coach Srečko Katanec on the bench due to illness, was surprisingly tame and lacked adventure. After the dismissal of Hardani, Team Melli seemed to play better, having more ball possession and control of the field. However, it was a low-risk game overall. Iran lacked the desire to play offensively, with the Uzbek defenses tightly compact and not allowing the Iranian forwards much breathing space.

One reason for the lack of effectiveness in Team Melli’s forward line, which is usually its most powerful, is the familiarity of Iran’s forwards amongst the opposing coaches. Having played together for several years, opposing teams can easily analyze and counteract their game plan. Lack of tactical variety in the Iranian game plan makes the opposing job even easier.

Since Amir Ghalenoei took over, it has been evident that Team Melli relies on long balls from the defense to the forwards, bypassing the midfield. This “route one” football is simple but also easily defendable and has a low yield in modern football. This strategy is particularly ineffective for Iran, where forwards like Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi lack the pace to make it work.

However, with the introduction of Mehdi Ghayedi and Ali Gholizadeh in the second half, the formula changed. Both players have pace and skills, making the long balls to the flanks more effective in feeding the center of attack. Two very good chances were created this way, with Azmoun and Saeid Ezatollahi both having their shots saved by the Uzbek keeper.

Iran still lacks a creative midfielder and playmaker. With Saman Ghoddos suspended for the match against Qatar, it will be interesting to see if Gholizadeh can inject some energy into the game which is a home game but played in Dubai. If Ghalenoei opts for a more cautious defensive approach he will probably start with Milad Noorafkan for a more solid, defensive-minded midfield.

There are still options left in the squad to fill the gap left by Ghoddos’ absence. Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who has experienced a dip in form, and Mohammad Mohebbi, recently recovering from injury, could fill that gap despite both being rusty. If Ghalenoei feels adventurous, Javad Hosseinnejad could be a fitting choice to add the style and finesse that many of the current midfielders lack.

It remains to be seen what Ghalenoi has in mind. He certainly has not stuck to his word about introducing an entertaining Team Melli. Perhaps the circumstances dictate that Iran should tread carefully until the qualification to FIFA World Cup 2026 is assured before the team goes full throttle and play attractive football.

The match against Qatar is on Tuesday 15th October at Rashid Stadium, Dubai.

Goalkeepers inspire Iranian comeback in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2024

Goalkeepers ran riot for Iran as they turned things around to defeat Tahiti 5-3 and top Group B.

The goalkeepers proved the heroes for Iran as both stoppers netted three between them to help Team Melli to victory over Tahiti at UAE 2024 Dubai™.

Two quick-fire second period goals from Tahiti put them in control of affairs, before Iranian goalkeeper Hamid Behzadpour scored a brace either side of a superb strike by fellow stopper Seyed Mirjalili to give Iran the lead.

Mohammadali Mokhtari eventually made the game safe with 90 seconds on the clock with a wonder goal, securing the victory and top spot in Group B for Team Melli. Tahiti, for their part, also advance to the quarter-finals in second place.FIFA Beach Soccer Woel

Team Melli Beach Soccer wll play the Host UAE in the qualkter finals of the FIFA Beach Soccer 2024 World Cup.

Iran 5-3 Tahiti

Iran goals: Behzadpour (2), Mirjalili, Tehau OG, Mokhtari

Tahiti goals: Labaste, Tinirauarii, Tepa

Player of the Match: Hamid Behzadpour (IRN)

Iran Beach Soccer defeats Giant Spain

Spain 6-6 IR Iran (1-3 PSO)

in its opening match of FIFA Beach Soccer WORLD CUP 2024, Iran’s Beach Soccer team defeated Spain in the penalty shot out in Dubai. The match ended 6-6 in regulation time.

La Roja and Team Melli put on one of the most gripping group-stage games in recent history. The woodwork was rocked on multiple occasions, but nets still rippled 12 times. Spain led 3-0 and 5-2, but Iran, thanks to four Mohammadali Mokhtari goals and an emphatic penalty shootout display, emerged victorious.

Team Melli Beach soccer team enjoyed tremendous support from the fans in the stands. Iran is one of the leading candidates for the title.

Spain goals: David (2), Chiky (2), Kuman, Jose Arias

Iran goals: Mokhtari (3), Mesigar, Amiri

Player of the Match: Mohammadali Mokhtari

Quotes

“We played a very good game. In phases of the match we should have had a little more control to take the three points. They turned the result around. We will have to see what we did wrong to take the three points.” Chiky, Spain player “We followed exactly what our coach told us. He kept telling us we could win the game. Iran will never give up. When you wear this shirt, you never give up.” Moslem Mesigar, Iran player

Iran ‘tried to kidnap 127-cap international legend Ali Karimi after issuing arrest warrant for criticizing regime’

IRAN tried to kidnap a former national football team captain for criticising the regime, according to his friend.

Ex-skipper Ali Karimi made 127 appearances for his country between 1998 and 2012, including at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Ali Karimi is at the centre of a kidnap attempt by the Iranian regime

Ali Karimi is at the centre of a kidnap attempt by the Iranian regimeCredit: AFP

However, he is now said to be living in exile in the UAE and at the centre of a social media, ploy to lure him back to his homeland because of his support for recent protests. Karimi, 43, went public with comments following the shocking arrest and death in custody three days later of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September for wearing her hijab incorrectly.

As reported by The Times, that resulted in an arrest warrant, accusing Karimi of “collusion with the intention of acting against national security”.

And now pal Mehdi Rostampour has detailed how an elaborate plan to capture the former Bayern Munich playmaker was devised.

In a lengthy social media post, Rostampour described how a “celebrity” (alleged to be Mehran Modiri) with alleged links to the regime wanted to follow Karimi’s lead and leave the country, requesting to meet in Fujairah, UAE. The message was sent to Karimi via another footballer he knew – but the sporting icon grew suspicious. Rostampour said: “Karimi was not keen on meeting him in any case.

“But just before the set time, he received a text from a friend saying, ‘Fujairah is a trap’.

“Who was the sender? Someone from within the intelligence ministry!”

Rostampour alleged the plan – conjured up by Iran’s intelligence ministry – was to force Karimi onto a boat, ship him back to Iran and strongarm him into making a false confession on state TV.

Around 200 people have died at the hands of security authorities while many of the crowds have chanted Karimi’s name. It is thought Iran wants to silence Karimi as a powerful voice of opposition – and he has reportedly had his passport confiscated yet still managed to fly to the UAE. Rostampour concluded: “Fortunately Ali Karimi is in good hands and safe. He has committed no crime other than standing by his people.”

people.”

All my pain and sorrow is the safety of the people in Iran

Ali Karimi

Karimi said on Monday: “I thank my countrymen who are worried about my humble self. “I and my family have been threatened and are threatened in various ways. But I am not important. “I still mourn my countrymen across Iran and all my pain and sorrow is the safety of the people in my homeland.”

There are growing calls for Fifa to banish Iran from the World Cup due to the oppressive regime and human rights record as well as the government supplying drones to Russia in their illegal invasion of Ukraine.

 

 

Post Match Press Conference UAE v Iran

Dragan Skocic expressed his satisfaction with the victory against the UAE. However, he stressed that “now is not the time for celebration because the crucial game against South Korea is ahead.“

“We played a great game against a team that defended with all heart and soul but we finally won,” Dragan Skucic told a post-match press conference. “The weather bothered us, especially since most of the players came from Europe and were not conditioned with the climate. The win was very important. We had a hard game. We knew our job was not easy at all in this climate. The presence of players from Europe also made our work difficult and we had little time to coordinate.”

He continued: “I was not satisfied with the way my team played in the first half, but with the changes we made, I got better in the second half. We made a mistake but VAR came to our rescue and reversed the referee’s decision. We are well on our way to achieving bigger things. We know we can do better. With the existing difficulties, we got a good result. “I am 53 years old and I know I should not be comfortable with these things,”

Team Melli Head Coach commenting on his 10th consecutive victory and his team’s lead with a difference of seven points with the third team in the World Cup qualifiers. “I have said many times that football has no memory. We have to rest well and get ready for the next game. If we compare with the previous round of World Cup qualifiers, we had a stronger start, but we should not be happy and we should work to get better.”

Regarding the use of VAR and determining the offside before the Shojaa Khalilzadeh was dismissed, he said: “If I had to change because of the Shojaa’s  dismissal, I would have to change one of the forwards Azmoun or Taremi, which was like cutting off one of my arms.”

“At the beginning of the second half, we started to control the game and impress the opponent, but that one mistake ruined everything, and the VAR corrected that,” Skocic said of the scene of Khalilzadeh’s dismissal.” After that scene, we returned to the game. I am glad that Shojaa’s dismissal did not take place. I must say that Khalilzadeh’s return raised the morale of the team.”

He continued: “We went to the field to win and achieved what we wanted, and this is very important. I would like to say that I liked the UAE style of play, especially in the first half, when they defended very well. “

“We are not celebrating this victory because we have a very sensitive game against South Korea,” Skocic concluded. “We have to win that game as well.”

In the post-match press conference, Bert Van Marwijk, the coach of the UAE national team, attributed the loss of his team 1-0 against Iran in the third round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, to the physical superiority of the Iranian players over his players, adding ” I do not blame the players for today’s loss, we played Against a very strong team ranked 26 in the world, and has players in the European leagues, which makes their physical fitness very high. “

Van Marwijk revealed that the video technology (VAR) had stopped functioning or some time in the UAE-Iran match, but then it was back online to work again, saying, “The fourth referee told me in the first half that the video technology  system VAR has stopped, but later he came back again to tell me in the second half that it had returned back to work again, This is unfortunate for the UAE team, as the video technology canceled the expulsion of the Iranian national team defender.”

“We played a very good first half, and we could have scored, but we did not take advantage of those opportunities well, and on the other hand, the opponent scored his goal from a quick counter-attack, which is a shame. ” He continued: “We will not give up, and stop there. We will try to compensate for the loss of Iran’s match in the next confrontation with Iraq, and we also have seven matches left in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, we must use them well, and the third-place we currently occupy is not bad. It also qualifies for the World Cup.

Van Marwijk pointed out that the players of the UAE national team came out very tired and frustrated after the match, noting that he has not spoken with them yet, but he will definitely work to get them out of the current situation in preparation for their next match against Iraq on the 12th of this month.

Taremi the hero as Iran edge UAE

Dubai: Iran secured three priceless points on the Road to Qatar, emerging from a dramatic AFC Asian Qualifiers clash against the United Arab Emirates with a 1-0 win at Zabeel Stadium on Thursday.
the-afc.com
07th.October.2021

A Mehdi Taremi strike with 20 minutes remaining proved decisive, keeping Dragan Skočić’s side on top of Group A with their third win from as many matches in the Final Round.

Unable to end their long winless run against Team Melli, the result leaves the United Arab Emirates stranded on two points from their three outings, considerably raising the stakes ahead of their clash with Iraq on Tuesday, the same day Iran will meet Korea Republic in a top of the table tie.

It had been billed as a showcase of some of the continent’s best strikers, but, with three crucial points on offer, clear goal-scoring chances were at a premium in a keenly contested first half.

An early delivery from the industrious Sadegh Moharrami provided one of those opportunities for Sardar Azmoun, but the Zenit star missed the target with his header, while the Emiratis might have wished it was Ali Mabkhout and not Khalil Ibrahim on the end of their brightest chance, with the latter also heading wide after a burst of speed from Fabio Lima had stretched the otherwise solid Iranian defense.

Scoreless at half-time, Azmoun threatened once again to provide the game’s first goal five minutes after the break, but again failed to test goalkeeper Ali Khaseif, while the other member of Iran’s two-pronged strike-force, Taremi, found himself well contained by the Emirati defense.

Iran had seized the initiative and Khasief was finally called into meaningful action when Jahanbakhsh forced him into a low save, but the pendulum looked to have swung sharply in the UAE’s favour when Shojae Khalilzadeh – exemplary until then – was shown a straight red card for fouling a goalbound Mabkhout, only for the Iranian defender to escape punishment after the Video Assistant Referee spotted an offside earlier in the move.

The turnaround in Iran’s fortunes was complete in the 70th minute when Taremi played a superb give-and-go with Azmoun to get behind the Emirati defense before easily beating the questionably positioned Khaseif from just outside the penalty to break the deadlock.

The visitors had a golden chance to add to the scoring when they were awarded a penalty after Taremi was impeded by Abdullah Ramadan in the dying minutes, but Khaseif saved brilliantly to deny Azmoun from the penalty spot.

That gave Bert van Marwijk’s side a glimmer of hope, but the last gasp equalizer didn’t materialize making Tuesday’s clash against Iraq one of the utmost importance for the UAE.

Team Melli squad arrives in Dubai.

Team Melli squad with a limited number of players has landed in Dubai. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) continues to tighten its restriction on the teams with health measures to ensure the safety of players and officials for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The squad will start training in the UAE from today (Monday), and according to the AFC health guidelines, all team members must be in the health bubble and are not allowed to leave the hotel. Members of the Iranian national football team will take a corona test twice before the match against the UAE on Thursday in order to be allowed to attend the match. The Confederation’s executive officer also inspects the camp of the two teams on a regular basis sending reports on hygiene and preventive measure of the squads to the World Cup selection committee.

While the training will start as of Monday, most players based in Europe are absent and expected to join in Dubai within the next two days. In contrast to Iran, the UAE has its full quota of players in the training camp.

The list of UAE team includes goalkeepers, Ali Khaseef, Fahd Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani and Mohammed Al Shamsi, and players Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Abdel Aziz Heikal, Shaheen Abdel Rahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Ahmed Rashid, Ahmed Al Attas and Al Hassan Valid. Youssef Jaber, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ali Salmin, Abdullah Ramadan, Muhammad Abbas, Abdullah Hamad, Majed Rashid, Fabio de Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Muhammad Jumaa, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Zayed Al Ameri, Ali Mabkhout and Sebastian Tigali

The last time the Iranian national team met UAE was in the AFC Asian Cup 2015 in Australia. Only two players from the UAE team that lost to Iran 1-0 are in the current squad. Ali Mabkhout and  Walid Abbas.

Why is Carlos Queiroz coaching of Iraq seems farfetched?

Despite no official announcement, sources all over Europe and Iraq have confirmed that the Iraqi Federation is close to signing a contract with the Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz to lead Iraq’s challenge of qualification for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Katanic was the last coach of Iraq to leave his post after Iraq secured the qualification to the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The reason was simply, monetary. Iraqi football federation has not paid the Slovenian for months which can frustrate even the most loyal and tolerant of coaches.

The fact is Iraq FA is bankrupt and has no steady income. Securing the services of an international coach requires a hefty budget which is not available to the Iraqi FA. So, recruiting a coach with an asking price of the north of two million US$ seems to be unattainable.

If Iraq FA could not regularly pay Katanec, how on earth they can afford an expensive and very demanding coach such as Queiroz?. Let’s face it, he does not come cheap and he is a very heavy burden to the budget of any federation.

Here comes the role of the insecure government of Iraq. To gain some hardly sought popular approval from the masses, the government of Iraq has agreed to pay for Queiroz and burden all his expenses. Such things will never be published, of course, but enough information has been leaked to give this theory some credibility.

Assuming that the Iraqi FA has sorted out the big challenge of Queiroz fees, it has to tackle other serious issues with the Portuguese. Like the 8 years that he spent with Team Melli, he was never a permanent resident of the country. His preference has always been the limelight of the City of Dubai. He traveled to Tehran when required and nothing more than that. He hardly attended league matches to find out about the standards of the local players, the tactics, and the physical strength of players, ironically he saved his travels to Europe to check on the Iranian legionnaires.

What is another big challenge is the demeanor of the Portuguese man. He is a difficult character to deal with. Aggressive, confrontational, and generally outspoken, the Iraqis have a challenge. He is a “never wrong” type of person who easily shifts the blames on others for shortfalls. Quite demanding when it comes to facilities, training equipment, player’s comfort, rest, league scheduling, and the time allocated for training camps. Queiroz will perhaps make one friend versus 10 enemies in any period of time in Iraq.

Despite all that, it is fair to say that Queiroz did a fine job with Iran. Whether the Iraqi’s will accept the heavy baggage that comes along with Carlos Queiroz is another story. If all financial issues are settled, the chances are that Queiroz will find some adversaries in Iraqi politicians. Many will question his pay reported to be more than 2 million dollars per annum while Iraqi people are living in extremely harsh conditions with frequent power cuts in the sweltering heat of summer not to mention the lack of security. That may be the reason that Queiroz does not intend to live in Baghdad