Tag: Kyrgyzstan

Team Melli continue its winning run with another close victory.

Bishkek: Iran had to dig deep to overcome Kyrgyz Republic 3-2 in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Group A clash on Tuesday to move closer to a place in the FIFA World Cup 26 Finals.

Leading 2-0 at the break, Iran had to withstand a Kyrgyz Republic fightback in the second half before Sardar Azmoun struck the winner to take them to 16 points as they stayed three clear at the top.

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei opted for Hossein Kanani to partner Ali Nemati in the heart of defence in place of the suspended Shojae Khalilzadeh as his side made a confident start to the game.

They took the lead after only 12 minutes, Saied Ezatolahi’s header from a corner kick was saved by Erzhan Tokotaev, only for the rebound to fall kindly for Mehdi Taremi to slam home.

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Kyrgyz Republic did have a sustained period of possession after that but without much threat with Joel Kojo being tightly marked by the Iranian defense.

The visitors turned a defensive situation to their advantage in the 33rd minute when they broke after a Kyrgyz Republic corner kick with Azmoun releasing Saleh Hardani, with the experienced defender coolly slotting home past Tokotaev.

Kyrgyz Republic head coach Maksim Lisitsyn rang in the changes for the second half with Beknaz Almazbekov and Erbol Atabaev replacing Gulzhigit Alykulov and Kai Merk respectively, a tactic that paid quick dividends.

Almazbekov’s cross cum shot in the 50th minute had Alireza Beiranvand tracking back to tip over and from the ensuing corner kick, the home side pulled a goal back through Kojo’s header.

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Lifted by the goal, Kyrgyz Republic poured men forward and drew level in the  64th minute when Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov was fouled in the box with Kojo stepping up to send his penalty past Beiranvand.

Seeing his side being put under intense pressure, Ghalenoei responded with Roozbeh Cheshmi, Mohammad Ghorbani, Mehdi Ghayedi and Omid Norafkan coming on for Ezatolahi, Seyed Karimi, Ali Gholizadeh and Hardani.

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The moment of quality Iran were seeking finally came in the 76th minute from a Milad Mohammadi cross that was met with a thumping header by Azmoun to secure Iran’s fifth win. 

Iran will meet the United Arab Emirates when the AFC Asian Qualifiers resume in March with Kyrgyz Republic to take on Uzbekistan

Squad update ahead of Kyrgyzstan match.

Team Melli will leave for Bishkek at 5 pm local time on a direct flight to the Kyrgyz Republic capital for the first match of the return round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

Missing from the squad will be three players.

Mohammad Mohebbi: The star of the game against Korea DPR and the scorer of a brace has received a knock and seems to be doubtful. It is not clear if he will fly with the team and if the coaching staff would utilize him for the game against Kyrgyzstan after passing a fitness test. His absence will be a blow for the team, especially as he has scored four goals in two games in the qualifiers.

Saman Ghoddos, whose injury has been diagnosed as more serious than initially thought, will not accompany the squad and instead will head back to the UAE for observation and treatment by his club medical team. Ghoddos did not play against North Korea on Thursday.

Shoja’a Khalilzadeh: His red card against Korea DPR means an automatic suspension, and he will not accompany the team to Bishkek.

Doubtful cases:
Sardar Azmoun: The center forward of Team Melli who has been in excellent form recently, received a knock in the last game against Korea DPR. Coach Ghalenoei p[ted to substitute him in the middle e of the second half. No further report of complications or the extent of the injury has been made public. Azmoun. however, is on the passenger manifest of the flight. His game time will be decided by Ghalenoei on Tuesday.

Sardar Azmoun Injured During UAE Cup Match, Faces Possible Team Melli Absence.

Sardar Azmoun, the star center forward of Team Melli and Shabab Al-Ahli, sustained an injury during his club’s UAE Cup match against Diba Al-Hisn.

Azmoun, who recently impressed by scoring twice and assisting Mohebi in Iran’s victory over Qatar, continued his fine form with an early goal in the 9th minute of the match. However, his night was cut short when he was forced to leave the field in the 32nd minute due to injury.

In the dressing room, medical staff conducted an initial evaluation, quickly assessing the severity of his condition. Fortunately, after further examinations, it was confirmed that Azmoun had not sustained damage to his cruciate ligament. His injury, though requiring treatment, is not expected to sideline him for an extended period. The estimated recovery time is less than a month.

Despite the relatively short recovery period, Azmoun is at risk of missing Iran’s next two World Cup qualifying matches in November — away games against North Korea, which are likely to take place in Laos and Kyrgyzstan.

Team Melli currently tops Group A in the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers with 10 points, closely followed by Uzbekistan. The top two teams from the group will qualify directly for the finals, while the third-placed team will have to navigate a playoff to secure their spot in the tournament.

MATCH REVIEW: Iran vs Kyrgyzstan

Overview

Iran’s Team Melli played a historic match in Esfahan, marking the first time the team has played in this city since its inception in 1940. The sell-out, vociferous crowd of over 20,000 filled Fooladshahr Stadium in anticipation of a solid performance and result from the number one favorite of this group.

Team Line-up

Head Coach, Amir Ghalenoei, who has been sticking to the familiar names in his lineup, made an exception for the match against the Kyrgyz Republic sidelining team captain, Jahanbakhsh, central defender Kananizadegan and the defensive midfielder Ezatollahi.

Goalkeeper: Alireza Beiranvand retained his place despite some shaky performances in the league.

  • Defense:
    • Central Defense Partnership: Amin Hezbavi and Shoja’a Khalilzadeh.
    • Full-backs: Ariya Yousefi and Milad Mohammadi.
  • Midfield:
    • Midfield : Saman Ghoddos, Ali Gholizadeh, Omid Noorafkan, and Mehdi Ghayedi.
  • Forward Line:
    • Strikers: Sardar Azmoun, Mehdi Taremi.

Match Performance

Match Performance

As anticipated, Iran dominated possession, leaving little room for the Kyrgyz team to breathe. However, the hosts struggled to turn this domination into goals on a pitch more suitable for grazing than playing international football. The only goal of the match came in the 44th minute when Mehdi Taremi slotted the ball home after Noorafkan’s long-range shot was parried by the Kyrgyz keeper.

Despite Iran initially controlling most of the play in the first half, the final balls from the midfield players were poor, failing to provide quality passes to Azmoun and Taremi up front. Apart from Noorafkan’s shot that led to Taremi’s goal, there were no shots on target by the Iranians. The atrocious pitch with multi-colored patches was possibly a factor, but the main blame should go to the ineffective midfield, poor basic passing, and some arrogance issues. The trio of Ghoddos, Ghayedi, Noorafkan, and Gholizadeh were at their worst. Much was expected from Ghoddos in this game, but his lack of match practice was evident. Noorafkan, usually a right back, was deployed in the midfield, which proved to be a bad idea. Gholizadeh huffed and puffed and executed a few dribbles, but his final balls were wasteful. Remarkably, Team Melli had just one shot on goal, which was the one scored by Taremi.

Despite leading 1-0 at halftime, Ghalenoei was visibly upset by the poor performance of his team. It was a poor show for Team Melli against a solid, disciplined team with compact defending.

The second half was not much better despite the substitutions forced on Ghalenoei, where Ghoddos and Gholizadeh were replaced by Jahanbakhsh and Ezatollahi. With Team Melli failing to add to their single goal, the Kyrgyz team became bolder and more effective. The brilliance of Beiranvand prevented Joel Kpjo from equalizing after he cleverly left Hizbavi and Khalilzadeh chasing shadows. Beiranvand’s timely interception was a face-saving act.

Overall, this was a shaky start by Iran. Ghalenoei was less than pleased by some of the players’ antics. His changes may not have yielded results, but most of the blame goes to the players who failed to turn up and were found wanting by a team they beat 5-1 the last time they met.

In the same group, UAE is leading the table after the first round, having beaten Qatar 3-1 in Doha, while Uzbekistan narrowly defeated North Korea 1-0 in an earlier match.

Iran’s first goal came in the

Iran vs Kyrgyzstan: Match Review

On Thursday, Team Melli will face Kyrgyzstan for the fifth time at Fooladshahr Stadium in Esfahan. The two teams last met in the CAFA Nations Cup, where Team Melli secured a dominant 5-1 victory in Bishkek.

There have been few changes in both squads, with the most significant being the appointment of Maksim Lisitsyn as the new head coach for Kyrgyzstan, replacing Š. Tarkovič.

The teams first crossed paths in the preliminary round of the FIFA World Cup France 1998 in Damascus, where Team Melli comfortably defeated the newly independent Kyrgyz side with a 7-0 win.

With almost all key players available for Amir Ghalenoei, Team Melli is expected to secure a convincing victory. The forward line of Team Melli is arguably the strongest in Asia, featuring the likes of Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun up front, with Ali Gholizadeh, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, and Mehdi Ghayedi operating on the flanks.

However, concerns remain in defense, particularly with an aging center-back duo and a lack of defensive cohesion that has seen Team Melli concede goals against various opponents. Alireza Beiranvand, a stalwart in goal for many years, has experienced a dip in form, making his position less secure.

The midfield also presents challenges, as players like Saman Ghoddos, Jahanbakhsh, and Saeid Ezatollahi have struggled with match fitness and practice, with the first two currently without clubs. The team will rely on Gholizadeh to inject creativity and dynamism.

Despite these issues, Team Melli should have little trouble winning this match, and anything less would be considered a significant setback, especially in a competitive group that includes AFC Asian Cup holders Qatar and strong opponents like Uzbekistan and the UAE.

Teams Last 5 matches

Kyrgyzstan

Iran

25/01/24Oman1 – 1D
21/03/24Chinese Taipei0 – 2W
26/03/24Chinese Taipei5 – 1W
06/06/24Malaysia1 – 1D
11/06/24Oman1 – 1D
Kyrgyzstan
07/02/24Qatar2 – 3L
21/03/24Turkmenistan5 – 0W
26/03/24Turkmenistan0 – 1W
06/06/24Hong Kong2 – 4W
11/06/24Uzbekistan0 – 0D
Iran

Head2Head Results

H / A / NMatchesWDLGoals+ / –
H22009 – 1+8
A11005 – 1+4
N11007 – 0+7
Total440021 – 2+19
DateComp.H / A / NFinal scoreVenue CityAttendance
16.06.2023CAFA Nations Cup A5 – 1Bishkek10000
07.06.2016FriendlyH6 – 0 Tehran4500
09.06.1997World Cup QualifierH3 – 1Tehran50000
04.06.1997World Cup Qualifier N7 – 0Damascus25000
The matches

Ghalenoei Criticizes Lack of Suitable Stadiums for International Matches

Amir Ghalenoei, the head coach of Iran’s national football team, expressed his frustration over the inadequate stadium facilities available for international matches in the country. Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of Iran’s game against Kyrgyzstan, Ghalenoei did not hold back in addressing the shortcomings.

“There has been a clear lack of effort and attention to this issue, which has resulted in this unfortunate situation,” Ghalenoei stated. “However, I appreciate the efforts of Zob Ahan Club and its management for preparing Fooladshahr Stadium for this match. Their work has saved us from potential embarrassment.”

Ghalenoei further mentioned that other provinces, despite having larger and more suitable stadiums, refused to cooperate with Team Melli, leaving them with limited options. “Fooladshahr has a decent pitch, but it requires proper maintenance. The turf has an expiration date and should be regularly cared for to remain usable,” he urged.

Analyzing the Opposition

Turning his focus to the upcoming game, Ghalenoei praised Kyrgyzstan’s new head coach for his deep understanding of the nation’s football system, having coached at both grassroots and youth levels. “They are a hardworking team, especially strong defensively,” Ghalenoei remarked, noting that the match would be challenging.

The coach also commended the preparation of his own team, highlighting the success of their training camp. “The conditions have been excellent, and this has been one of the best camps we’ve held. The players are motivated and training with high intensity.”

Balancing Youth and Experience

Ghalenoei acknowledged the ongoing criticism surrounding squad selection, especially regarding the balance between experienced players and younger talents. “Every time we announce a squad, we face criticism. We are working to lower the average age and bring in younger players to support the national team in the future. But these changes must be gradual and measured, ensuring we still get results while protecting the young players’ development.”

He emphasized the importance of careful selection: “Our choices are based on thorough analysis. We’ve been watching the players throughout the league, and while mistakes can happen, our process is transparent. The national team is open to everyone.”

For Ghalenoei, age is just a number. “It’s about quality and readiness. Our goal is to field a team that can combine youthfulness with strong performances. If we don’t get results, the same people who ask for rejuvenation will criticize us for not winning. So, we remain focused on our work and welcome constructive criticism, which helps us improve. Some of our critics are our own advisors.”

An Offensive Football Philosophy

Ghalenoei reaffirmed his commitment to an aggressive, offensive style of play. “Systems don’t win matches; players do. My approach is to play attacking football. My teams have a strong scoring record, and we will maintain this style, even if it costs us a result tomorrow. I can’t change my philosophy because it’s what the fans want to see. I’m here to serve the national team, and the players understand that we have to play a dynamic, spectator-friendly game.”

He also spoke highly of Mehdi Taremi, stating, “We’ve given Taremi the freedom to move across the field, supported by another striker. The players know exactly what’s expected of them.”

He also spoke about the leadership role that experienced players like Taremi play on the field, describing them as the “arm of the coaching staff” who help manage the team during matches. “We don’t expect anything extraordinary from Taremi. We just want him to be himself.”

Reflecting on Challenges

Ghalenoei touched on the challenges faced by the national team, including the strength of teams from the CAFFA region and the high expectations of Iranian fans. “If the players don’t give their best, I will hold them accountable. We’re here to bring joy to the people.”

He recalled a past experience to illustrate the dedication he expects from his players: “I remember when Ali Daei got injured during a match against Bahrain. I was the first person by his side, and he played 70 minutes with that injury. That’s the level of commitment I expect.”

Venue and Federation Challenges

Regarding the choice of venues, Ghalenoei admitted that some of the options for hosting matches were less than ideal, while there were better options “We could have played in better stadiums, but we had to make do with what was available from the people who welcomed Team Melli.”

Despite the difficulties faced, including the fact that the coaching staff have not been paid for months, Ghalenoei remained optimistic. “Our priority is the people. When they’re facing hardships, it’s not right for us to worry about our own financial issues. The Federation and management are doing their best, and so are we. The people’s happiness is what truly matters.”

Ghalenoei invites 26 players for Kyrgyzstan and UAE matches.

With 6 days to go, Amir Ghalenoei finally announced the squad that will face Kyrgyzstan at home and UAE away in the third-round qualifier matches of FIFA World Cup 2026.

The first two matches are significant for Team Melli as a good result will mean they will lead the group from the onset while putting pressure on the two contenders in the group, Qatar and Uzbekistan.

Iran and Uzbekistan have already met in the earlier qualifying stage with neither being able to defeat the other.

Iran is in Group E of the third round 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers along with Uzbekistan, Qatar, Korea Rep, Kyrgyzstan and UAE. The names of the players invited to the squad for the first two matches of the group were announced by head coach Amir Ghalenoei as follows:

Goalkeepers:

Alireza Beiranvand, Payam Niazmand, Hossein Hosseini, Arsha Shakouri

Defenders:

Shoja Khalilzadeh, Hossein Kanaanizadegan, Amin Hizbavi, Ali Nemati, Saleh Hardani, Milad Mohammadi, Abolfazl Jalali, Arya Yousefi

Midfielders:

Saeid Ezatollahi, Omid Nourafkan, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Karimi, Mohammad Ghorbani, Allhayar Sayyadmanesh, Ali Gholizadeh, Mehdi Torabi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh

Forwards:

Mehdi Taremi, Javad Aghaeipour, Sardar Azmoun, Shariyar Moghanlou, Mehdi Ghaeydi

Fooladshahr, is the venue for the next Team Melli match.

The Iranian Football Federation has announced that the match between Iran and Kyrgyzstan will be held at Foladshahr Stadium in Esfahan , which is equipped with VAR.

Iran’s national will face Kyrgyzstan in the third qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, September 5th. This match was supposed to be held at Azadi Stadium, which was moved to Naghshe Jahan Stadium in Isfahan due to the renovation of Azadi. The match between Sepahan and Shabab Al-Ahli was held in Naghshe Jahan highlighted the disastrous status of the pitch and raised many objections specifically from Team Melli’s coach.

The Stadium Standardization Headquarters, subsequently declared that due to the damage to the grass of Naghshe Jahan Stadium, the stadium in Esfahan cannot host this World Cup qualifier match and an alternative venue has to be nominated. Dawood Rafati, head of stadium standardization headquarters, went to Isfahan today and visited Folad Shahr Stadium. After the investigations, it was announced that the memorandum of understanding will be signed by tonight and the national team will face Kyrgyzstan at Foulad Shahr Stadium. The Football Federation will send the next VAR machine after Arak to Isfahan so that this game will be played with the help of a Video-Assisted Referee.

 Fooladshar is the home stadium of Zob Ahan and was opened in 1998. The stadium is listed as having a capacity of 15,000. its remote location away from Esfahan city and small capacity is not ideal venue of a match of this level for Team Melli. FooladShahr is about 45 km from Esfahan city center.

Esfahan is a strong candidate to host Team Melli

Iran will start its campaign to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on 5th September 2024 with a home game against Kyrgyzstan. The aging Azadi Stadium is automatically selected for Team Melli home matches with the odd exception during the last few decades.

This time, however, Naghshe Jahan Stadium in Esfahan is being mentioned as a possible host for the opening match in the third round of the qualifiers.
Azadi had its fair share of technical and political problems recently and in addition to demands by other cities in Iran like Esfahan, Tabriz, and Mashhad to have the right to host Iran’s National football team matches, this may have convinced the FFIRI to allow some home matches in other cities rather than just Teahran.

According to Nabi, the VP of FFIRI, Esfahan is a strong candidate for the first match., This will be confirmed soon, according to Nabi who is also Manager Of Team Melli.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Third Round explained.

The second round of double qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup concluded on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, marking the beginning of two new chapters in Asian football.

2027 Asian Cup Qualification:

  • 18 teams secured their spots in the 2027 Asian Cup by finishing first or second in the second-round groups.
  • These 18 teams will also participate in the decisive third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The Third Round of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers:

  • In this stage, the 18 qualified teams will compete in a group system, with each group containing 6 teams.
  • The top two teams from each group will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
  • For the first time in history, the Asian continent will have 8 seats at the World Cup.
  • The remaining 6 teams will vie for the last two spots through a fourth round.
  • The fourth round will feature two groups, each comprising 3 teams. The top team from each group will secure direct qualification to the World Cup.

Draw Date:

  • The draw for the third round of the 2026 Asian World Cup qualifiers is scheduled for Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation.

QUALIFIES TEAMS

The following teams finished first or second in their respective second-round groups:

Draw

The seeding for the draw was based on the FIFA Men’s World Rankings on 20 June 2024 (shown in parentheses below).

Each group will contain one team from each of the six pots.

Pot 1Pot 2Pot 3
 Japan (17) Iran (20) South Korea (22) Australia (23) Qatar (35) Iraq (55) Saudi Arabia (56) Uzbekistan (62) Jordan (68)
Pot 4Pot 5Pot 6
 United Arab Emirates (69) Oman (76) Bahrain (81) China (88) Palestine (95) Kyrgyzstan (101) North Korea (110) Indonesia (134) Kuwait (137)

Best case Scenario for Iran

While teams in pots 2 and 3 can spring surprises for the three leading Teams, Japan, Iran and Korea Republic, the other teams are by no means easy opponents either. However, based on ranking, location and current form, Team Melli can do with a comfortable group. The best that Iran can get in the draw next week is this group.

IRAN – IRAQ – JORDAN -BAHRAIN -KYRGYSZTAN- KUWAIT.

These teams are quite familiar for Iran and the biggest advantage will be travelling time. Three of the teams are neighbours, while the other two (Jordan and Kyrgzysran) are 2 1/2 hrs to flying time Amman while Bishkek is 3 hrs 15 minutes.
In case Iran gets North Korea and/or Australia, it will be a logistical nightmare.