Tag: Ehsan Hajsafi

Iran MP slams appearance of Shojaei & Hajsafi in Team Melli

By AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE FOOTBALL

Sunday March 25, 2018

TEHRAN, Iran, Mar 25 – A conservative lawmaker in Iran slammed the sports federation on Sunday for allowing star footballer Masoud Shojaei to return to the international squad despite appearing against an Israeli team last year.

Shojaei, the 33-year-old national team captain, and teammate Ehsan Haji Safi were criticised in Iran after they appeared for their Greek club Panionios last August in a Europa League qualifier against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Deputy Sports Minister Mohammad Reza Davarzani said at the time that the pair would be banned for life.

Iran does not recognise the Jewish state and bars its athletes from appearing against Israelis.

Confusion has reigned over the matter, however, with Haji Safi never banned from the international squad, while Shojaei has missed all the international fixtures until Friday’s match against Tunisia, which Iran lost 1-0.

“Re-inviting Masoud Shojaei to be present in the national football team — after competing against the Zionist regime — shows that the football federation has not taken serious action on this issue,” hardline lawmaker Mohammad Ali Poormokhtar said in an interview with the conservative Fars news agency.

He said the sports minister would be questioned after the current break for the Iranian new year.

A combination photo shows Iran’s Ehsan Haji Safi (L) playing during a 2014 World Cup qualifying football match and Iran’s Masoud Shojaei playing during a World Cup 2018 qualifying match © AFP / Behrouz MEHRI, Karim JAAFAR

In a press conference ahead of the Tunisia match, Shojaei said: “I am very happy to be a member of this team. Although the final list (for the World Cup squad) has not been announced yet, the fact that right now I am in this team means I am very happy and proud.”

Iran cannot admit it bans players for appearing against Israelis because there are strict international rules against political interference in sports.

The issue has come to the fore in recent weeks after wrestler Alireza Karimi Mashiani was given a six-month ban for deliberately losing a world championship match in Poland in November in order to avoid an Israeli opponent in the next round.

The head of Iran’s wrestling federation quit last month in disgust, saying young athletes were being forced to lie and the authorities were letting them pay the price for their policies.

“Forcing an athlete to accept defeat or run around all night looking for a doctor’s note is not right,” Rasoul Khadem, an Olympic gold medallist, told public radio ahead of his resignation.

Iran is due to play another friendly against Algeria in Tehran on Tuesday.

Iran looses the quarter finals in a thriller at Brisbane.

Team Melli lost the quarter finals match on penalty shootout against Iraq in a thrilling encounter at Brisbane Stadium.

Iran took the lead through Sardar Azamoun from a powerful header of a cross provided by Vouriya Ghafoori  on minute 24.  to make it 1 – 0 for Iran.

Iraq equalized  on 56th minute from Ahmed Yasin after Iran defense failed to clear and the ball hit Pouraliganji into the net.  The matches ended 1-1 for extra time to be played.

The Captain of Iraq  Younis Mahmoud made it 1 – 2 for his team on minute 93′ . Morteza Pouraliganji on minute 103′ scored from an Ando Teymourian corner kick to make it.2 – 2

While the match was on its final minutes, Morteza Pouraliganji who was the hero of Iran made a gross error and fouled Iraq forward for the referee to call a penalty which was dispatched by the 20 years old Iraqi defender  Dhurgham Ismail (116 minute.)

And then the grand finale came when Reza Ghoochannejhad scored with one minute left to make it 3 – 3

The two players who missed penalties of Iran were Hajsafi and Vahid Amiri,

fans and players mingle in brisbane

The first controversy of the match was the appointment of the whistle-happy Australian referee for the match. He was the referee of the first match of Iran in the AFC Asian Cup which Iran won 2-0 but so some crucial errors by the Australian which lead Queiroz to publicly complain about this referee. For expressing his views , AFC slapped an US$ 3000 fine on Queiroz which the Portuguese coach rejected as harsh and uncalled for.

Appointing the same referee for a crucial match was an indicative of a juvenile delinquency by the AFC and the organizers. Instead of trying to steer away from controversy , the AFC has fallen into it either by pure ignorance or by blatant intent and in an up your nose attitude towards Queiroz and Iran!

The controversial Ben Williams lasted for 42 minutes before he was on the act justifying earlier complaints against him. The referee awarded Mehrdad Pooladi a second yellow card right towards the end of the half for an innocuous challenge on Iraqi goalkeeper who made a theatrical scene and pushed Pooladi to the ground.

The feeble referee reacted to Iraqi players protests and awarded Pooladi a second yellow and then walked away. He was not aware that Pooladi was already on a yellow until the Iraqi players dragged him back to remind him.

Williams have a long sheet of controversial , poor decision-making and being conned by players. He is a poor choice for a referee at international level but being an Australian , and the tournament is in Australia, it is obvious that his sub-standard refereeing will be forgiven.

 The penalty loss spells the end of Iran’s participation in the Asian Cup. It is the third time in a row that Team Melli is eliminated in the Quarter finals of the competition in extra time or penalty kicks.