Tag: UAE

19 players invited to Team Melli Camp 2017.

Carlos Queiroz invited 19 players to join Team Melli Training camp , which will start immediately without Legionnaire players and expected to continue training in the UAE as of next Tuesday.

It is still not clear if the match against Morocco is On or not. As always , FFIRI has a dysfunctional PR that refuses to  give any details and leave the media speculating or seeking news about its own national team from foreign sources.

Three uncapped players were named in the squad ; Ehsan Pahlavan ,  Morteza Tabrizi (Zob Ahan) and Vahid Mohammadzadeh (Saipa Alborz) 

It is not clear if any of the legionnaires will be joining the squad despite the fact that most European are in the middle of the winter break. is

THE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Alireza Biranvand, Mohammad Reza Akhbari, Rashid Mazaheri

Defenders: Ramin Rezaeian, Vahid Mohammadzadeh, Seyed Jalal Hosseini, Ezatollah Pourqaz, Mohammed Ansari, Milad Mohammadi

Midfield: Omid Ebrahimi, Ehsan Hajsafy, Dariush Shojaeian, Vahid Amiri, Kamal Kamyabinia

Forwards: Soroush Rafie, Mehdi Taromi, Ehsan Pahlavan , Sasan Ansari, Morteza Tabrizi

Iran drawn against Korea Rep. again.

Iran was drawn with Korea Rep. , Uzbekistan , Qatar , China and Syria in Group A of the FIFA World Cup 2018 Final qualification rounds.

The draw was conducted by AFC General Secretary Dato Windsor John, with a helping hand from former Korea Republic star Park Ji-sung. Numerous personalities were in attendance, headed by the coaches of the teams that will contest the third round.

The latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking was used to split the 12-country field into six pots. These were then drawn into two groups of six teams, who will do battle for direct qualification to Russia 2018 between 1 September 2016 and 5 September 2017.

Both group winners and runners-up will go straight through to the 2018 World Cup. Meanwhile, the two teams that finish third will meet in a two-legged showdown on 5 and 10 October 2017. Whoever triumphs in this double-header will look to secure their spot at the finals in an intercontinental play-off – also to be played over two legs – against the fourth-placed country from CONCACAF qualifying.

Australia , the AFC Asian Cup title holders is grouped with Japan , Saudi Arabia, UAE , Thailand, and Iraq in group B.

The two teams Iran and Korea Rep. will renew their rivalry once again in the qualification for the World Cup. In the last encounter , the relationship between the coaches were making the headlines and as there was not love lost between Carlo Queiroz and the South Korean Choi KANG-HEE . The South Korean for all his rhetorics ended up in the losing side and eventually resigned his job, South Korea survived by the skin of their teeth after Uzbekistan failed to score one more goal to put them ahead on goal difference in the other group matches.

The draw avoided a potential problem for FIFA and AFC after the Saudi’s claimed they will refuse to play in Iran.

Iran, Japan, Korea Rep.,  Australia and Qatar are the top seeds for qualification. The first round will commence on 1st September 2016.

 

MATCHES SCHEDULE

Matchday One
September 01, 2016 Thursday Iran vs. Qatar – H

Matchday Two
September 06, 2016 Tuesday China vs. Iran – A

Matchday Three
October 06, 2016 Thursday Uzbekistan vs. Iran – A

Matchday Four
October 11, 2016 Tuesday Iran vs.  South Korea – H

Matchday Five
November 15, 2016 Tuesday  Syria  vs. Iran – A

Matchday Six
March 23, 2017 Thursday Qatar vs. Iran – A

Matchday Seven
March 28, 2017 Tuesday Iran vs  China – H

Matchday Eight
June 13, 2017 Tuesday Iran vs. Uzbekistan – H

Matchday Nine
August 31, 2017 Thursday South Korea vs. Iran – A

Matchday Ten
September 5th, 2017 Iran vs. Syria – H

Iran Beach Soccer cruises to the semi-finals

Iran Beach Soccer team advances to the semi-finals of Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup 2015  for a clash with Russia with a big third period marked by a brilliant hat trick from Ahmadzadeh.

 

The 5-2 win for Iran over Mexico had its ups and downs for both teams but it ended on an extremely high note for the Asian side. Iran took first blood and were well on their way to a blowout when Mexico turned things around and knotted things up, but Iran was helped by the pro-Iran crowd and drew on their energy and delighted the fans with a great defensive display as well as offensive showcase. The win gives Iran second place in the group and they will be heading to the semi-finals to play Russia in the last game of the day on Friday. The Mexican side were forced to try and come from behind in each match and could not pull off any of the comebacks but they will be playing in the consolation semis on Friday against the UAE.

Iran knew that if they could win their second straight match that they would be advancing to the semis but a very competitive and best team that CONCACAF, king of the confederation, had to offer was in their way. The obstacle for the Lions of the Atlas did not seem as daunting after they calmed their nerves and scored the first goal of the match. But the North American side was entirely in the fight and they hung strong after giving up the goal and going into the last minutes of the period, the score remained 1-0 for Iran. The on-field battles continued and the Tri Color saw their opportunities increase but nothing could be done with them and it was Iran who capitalized again, netting their second and taking that 2-0 lead into the first break. Mexico took the deficit as a challenge and started the second period on a different note and with a chip on their shoulder. The Mexicans hit home a beautiful header in the first minute of the second period, to cut the Iranian lead in half at 2-1. The Mexicans did not stop there and confused the Iran defense when they scored the equalizer, putting the score at 2-2. But then it was Mexico’s turn to get disoriented on defense when Iran scored their third goal on a great bicycle in traffic that someone got through to put the score at 3-2 for the Lions of the Atlas going into the final break. 

Iran began the final period by trying desperately to get at least one insurance goal but it did not come in the early going as Mexico was employing their signature tight defense, though that limited their offensive ability at the same time. Iran was knocking on the door but with six minutes gone from the period, there were no goals to show for the effort. However, past the midway point in the frame, M. Ahmadzadeh scored his second goal to give Iran a seemingly safe cushion of two goals at 4-2. Mexico began to rush and looked for the offense that they had lacked thus far, but with the Iranian keeper, Hosseini, between the pipes, it was difficult to find goals, and that has almost always been the case for Iran’s’ opponents. The Iranians held off the Mexican attacks and the final score was 5-2 for Iran. 

 

Goals: 0-1: M. Hassani, min. 9 (1); 0-2: A. Naderi, min. 8 (1); 1-2: G. Pichardo, min. 11 (2); 2-2: A. Villa, min. 8 (2); 2-3: M. Ahmadzadeh, min. 1 (2); 2-4: M. Ahadzadeh, min. 5 (3); 2-5: M. Ahmedzadeh, min. 5 (3).

 

Group B in flux after Iran shocks Portugal in Beach soccer.

Iran men’s national beach soccer team defeated the European powerhouse Portugal 5-3 on Wednesday in the Group B match of the 2015 Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The 5-3 win for Iran over the Portugal was the perfect rebound for Iran and letdown for Portugal but the fans won the biggest as the game was tense, dramatic, and passionate. Portugal took the first bite of the cherry but things were so equal that a big first period for both teams left the score tied at 2-2. Iran then dug deep and drew off the very friendly crowd to take the little steps and goals they needed to charge ahead and earn the win. The triumph leaves Group B up in the air going into the last day as it was the first win Iran, with Portugal also owning one win. Tahiti has two wins in the group but Portugal will play Tahiti on Thursday, while Iran will take on Mexico, and as it looks, each team needs a win to be safe.

iran_beachSoccer 2

Iran came into the match needing a win, as they lost on opening day to Tahiti but it was the world champs who scored first, leaving the Iranians down 1-0 and searching for a spark. The Lion of the Atlas were able to find that energy when they nailed home their first shot before the midway point in the frame. Portugal had an answer and responded within a minute but the Asian side had their own answer yet again and the game settled at 2-2 going into the final minutes of the period. The score did not shift and the first 12 minutes ended with the four goals, two for each side. The expectations might have been for more and more immediate goals, but the goalies began making bigger and bigger saves and the scored stayed at 2-all until Iran took their first lead of the day, on a penalty kick, to go up 3-2 near the halfway point of the match. Portugal kept their nerves but they knew that letting Iran hang around and build confidence would doom the Portuguese. The Iranians continued to turn things around from that early goal they gave up and they eventually scored late in the second to double up the Portuguese squad, by a score of 4-2, which is how things would hold going into the decisive final 12 minutes.

Iran beach soccer

Far from out of it, the Portuguese started the trail back to contention with an early goal from Jordan, which blew past the great Peyman Hosseini, the splendid keeper for Iran, and it put the score 4-3 for Iran, going into the heart of the period. For all of the close calls and saves from Iran, Portugal was still needing to employ their solid defense and goalkeeping with Iran attacking just as much. The crossbars on both ends of the field were taking a beating with Portugal and Iran doing their best to shatter them, or score a goal, though one of those things was obviously more important. The sense was Portugal was going to score but the stout Iranian defense was able to keep the score at 4-3 going into the final minutes of the game. The nail in the coffin came with three minutes left when Iran netted their fifth and then they hung on for the 5-3 victory.

 

Goals: 0-1: Belchior, min. 8 (1); 1-1: M. Morshedi, min. 8 (1); 1-2: B. Novo, min. 7 (1); 2-2: F. Boulokbashi, min. 6 (1); 3-2: M. Ahmadzadeh, min 7 (2); 4-2: F. Boulokbashi, min. 3 (2); 4-3: Jordan , min. 9 (3); 5-3: M. Ahmadzadeh, min. 3 (3).

On November 23, 2013, Iran beat Russia 4-3 in the final match of the 2013 edition of the Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup in Dubai to win the title.

Iran Beach soccer lose the opener match.

Iran men’s national beach soccer team has suffered its first loss at the group stage of the 2015 Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

On Tuesday evening, Asian powerhouse Iran lost to the strong Tahiti national beach soccer team by two points in its Group B opener played at the International Marine Club in Dubai.

Both teams got off to a fine start, knowing that goals would be hard to come by. Tahitian sportsmen were steady in their offense and defense, fighting through a very competitive Iranian side.

Tahiti’s Tearii Labaste finally jumped at an ideal chance in the third minute of the first period to open the scoring for the South Pacific side.  

Heimanu Taiarui doubled the lead for the Tahitian beach soccer team two minutes later, and the world vice champions went into the breather with a two-goal lead. 

Tahiti beach soccer team retained the lead and Naea Tommy Irving Bennett scored his first goal four minutes into the second period, putting Tahiti 3-0 ahead.

Tahitians did not relinquish as the game extended into the third and final period. The 38-year-old Bennett took advantage of a marvelous opportunity in the 10th minute of the period, and tacked his second goal to make it 4-0 for Tahiti.

Mohammad Ahmadzadeh of Iran took up a great chance a minute later, and kicked the Persians’ first goal.

Ahmadzadeh made his second goal of the match in the 11th minute of the third period, and turned Iran’s deficit into 4-2 before the referee blew his whistle and called it a day. 

In Tuesday’s other games, strong contenders Portugal sank Mexico 5-3, Russia produced an emphatic 5-1 win over Argentina. The United Arab Emirates went down to Egypt 3-2.

The 2015 Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup opened in Dubai, the UAE, on November 3, and will wrap up on November 7.

Argentina, Egypt, Russia and the host nation are in Group A.

Iran has been drawn alongside Mexico, Portugal and Tahiti in Group B of the tournament.

Carlos Queiroz looks for ‘miracle’ as Iran target World Cup return

BY JOHN DUERDEN

 

Carlos Queiroz never seems to age, with only a lengthening CV providing proof of passing time.

It makes for impressive reading, but the 62-year-old still wants to do more. “I am attracted to the idea of taking four different national teams to a World Cup because only one or two guys have done that and it would be nice for my coaching career,” Mozambique-born Queiroz told ESPN FC.

It would be quite a feat, but at the moment the Portuguese coach is focusing on taking Iran — his third national team after South Africa and Portugal — to a second successive World Cup in Russia 2018.

The feat is harder than many people realise it to be, Queiroz argues. Though there are four automatic World Cup berths for Asia, the reality is a little different.

“In Asia, three nations have a credit card for the World Cup — Australia, South Korea and Japan,” he says with just a hint of a smile and a what-can-you-do shrug of the shoulders.

“That leaves just one place for Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Uzbekistan, China and North Korea. That is seven

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz is preparing to guide Team Melli to their second straight WC ahead of Thursday’s qualifier vs. Guam.

nations and almost of all these have great conditions, facilities and financial resources.”

Iran — who were under international sanctions for eight years — have been at a disadvantage, according to Queiroz. There have been struggles to gain access to funds due from FIFA and the AFC and the consequential inability to pay for training camps and facilities. Years of cancelled friendlies also took a toll.

For Queiroz, it is becoming more difficult for Iran to compete with rivals with better financial resources. “There is real passion for the game in Iran, you don’t have to ignite it,” he said.

“With passion, players and desire, you have a big chance. But how many times can you work a miracle?

“Money talks everywhere, and we need resources to create a foundation. We need experience but how are you going to gain it if you don’t have friendly games, if you don’t have nations to play? This is a cat and mouse game and is very difficult to deal with.”

Carlos Queiroz hailed Iran’s spirited performance against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in last year’s World Cup.

The sanctions were lifted in July but the former Real Madrid coach is unconvinced that things will change anytime soon.

It was against such a backdrop that Iran made it to the 2014 World Cup, clinching a spot on a warm June night at the Ulsan World Cup Stadium.

Team Melli’s celebration upset the South Korean hosts, who felt it was over the top and aggressive. But according to Queiroz, who was formerly an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manshester United, it was emotion released after a long and testing campaign.

It was not the end of stress, however. “Our preparation for the World Cup was not playing national teams but a couple of first division teams from South Africa. We are grateful, don’t get me wrong, those friends were fantastic for us but it was not enough.

“We need more experience, more players who are mature to play a World Cup. We want to be there with a chance to compete and win and in the World Cup we can only do that if we have quality players and experience.”

Even so, the memories of Brazil are still warm. “The performance was great. The players and the team got a lot of respect. They brought pride to the nation, there is no doubt about that,” said Queiroz.

Especially against Argentina when Iran only lost 1-0 due to a piece of Lionel Messi magic in the 91st minute and could have won, had the referee given what seemed to be a pretty clear penalty when Pablo Zabaleta had fouled Ashkan Dejagah in the area 10 minutes into the second half.

“I was sure that they would not be able to score, but when you have God on the pitch, sometimes you can make miracles,” said Queiroz.

“I cracked the joke then that Argentina had everything on their side. They had Messi who played for them — Messi could have been born Iranian, but God made him to be born in Argentina.

“Then they also had the referee who was a little bit distracted when he didn’t give us that penalty, that scandalous penalty. Sure, if we had scored then, it could have inspired Argentina to come back — you never know in football. But those two combinations were difficult to deal with.

“We fought hard at the World Cup. It was OK. It was 50 percent of what I wanted.”

Queiroz coached Iran to a quarterfinal appearance in the Asian Cup in January but lost the thriller against neighbours Iraq.

It comes back to Russia 2018. Iran are strong favourites to top Group D and move into the final round of qualification despite a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw in Turkmenistan in June.

“More than 50 percent of the team are young and it is a new team,” Queiroz said. “I expected a little more from them. In fact, the game got a bit complicated for us after we had scored. There are no excuses though. The pitch was OK for both teams, the weather was very hot.

We need to praise Turkmenistan — they fought for the result and we lacked the experience to control the game and get the three points. But we are still in a good position to move to the next round.”

On Thursday, Guam come to Tehran. The island with a population of 170,000 were genuine minnows until recently. Now the Matao are top of the group with six points from games at home to Turkmenistan and India and have climbed the rankings to 146.

Queiroz is wary of the team who are confident, ambitious and with nothing to lose. He is respectful of the job English coach Gary White has done. “They are doing well. They have a lot of players with experience in the United States leagues,” said Queiroz.

“I am not surprised, because I have been there and found the Guam players to have this competitive nature and sport education which are the foundations of American sports. The coach is doing well because I saw videos and the team is very well organised with good discipline and it is going to be difficult.”

For Carlos Queiroz, life as Iran coach is never easy and you sense that he quite likes it that way. “That is why we are coaches, born to suffer in life. We will do our best and that is all we can do.”

John Duerden is ESPN’s Asia football correspondent who also works for BBC Radio, The Guardian and World Soccer. Twitter: @JohnnyDuerden

Bright new stars light up Asia.

(FIFA.com) Tuesday 3 February 2015

The 2015 edition of the AFC Asian Cup provided high-quality and entertaining football throughout the 32-match, three-week competition. Among the most attractive aspects were the performances of a host of youngsters who put themselves into the spotlight and proved they are likely to be grabbing headlines during the build-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ and beyond.

FIFA.com takes a look at five names that shone brightly at Australia 2015.

Omar Abdulrahman (United Arab Emirates)
No player cut such a distinctive figure as mop-haired United Arab Emirates ace Omar Abdulrahman. The Al Ain-based No10 delivered in every department, featuring prominently in each TV highlights reel from the tournament. The Riyadh-born midfielder of Yemeni extraction has a repertoire of flicks and tricks that would be the envy of any futsal superstar, while his left-foot slalom dribbles boast a hint of Diego Maradona during the Argentine’s mid-1980s pomp. Abdulrahman provided four assists among UAE’s ten goals in their run to the semi-finals. His passing and understanding with free-running forwards Ali Mabkhout and Ahmed Khalil helped the pair share nine goals, and ensures the UAE will be dangerous opponents heading into Russia 2018 qualifying. Though he made his national team debut back in 2010, Abdulrahman has now made a definitive statement on the international stage.

Massimo Luongo (Australia)
Arguably no one was as influential in Australia’s charge to their maiden Asian Cup crown as Massimo Luongo. So much so that the previously unheralded Sydneysider was named player of the Asian Cup for his tournament-high involvement in six goals (including four assists). That the 22-year-old Luongo wasn’t expected to be in the Socceroo starting side at the beginning of January makes his rise all the more meteoric. Luongo is an all-action, attack-minded central midfielder who likes to dribble at pace, link with fellow attackers and position himself between the lines. The Swindon Town-based Luongo was the only third-tier player to feature in the final, yet his all-round game was pivotal in Australia’s win over Korea Republic. His desperate block of Son Heungmin’s shot in defence was almost immediately followed by a classy turn and strike at the other end for the game’s opening goal.

Massimo Luongo

Sardar Azmoun (Iran)
Iran‘s big-name stars were to some degree eclipsed by a lean, newly-capped striker who garnered many of the headlines. Sardar Azmoun scored arguably the goal of the tournament with a deft balletic turn and prodded finish to net the only goal of the game against Qatar, securing a win which ultimately ensured Team Melli qualified at the top of their group. All this from a player who turned 20 just days prior to the tournament, and who had scored his first international goal only two months earlier. Azmoun, the son of an international volleyballer, was picked up by Russia’s Rubin Kazan at just 17 and has since been linked with numerous major clubs in Europe. The tall and athletically built forward seems to have all the potential needed to be an Iran star for years to come.

Sardar Amoun

Abdelkarim Hassan (Qatar)
Though Qatar exited in the group stage, the class of left-sided defender Abdelkarim Hassan is evidence of a bright future for Al Annabi. Hassan, a graduate of the famed Aspire Academy in Doha, not only boasts strong athletic capabilities but also a natural game sense. Watching Hassan push down the flanks and linking with team-mates, it is hard to believe he is still only 21, though now in his fifth year of senior football. Along with the likes of striker Mohammed Muntari, Hassan represents the vanguard of young players that could form the basis of Qatar’s team when they host the 2022 World Cup.

ِAbdulkarim Hassan Fadhallah

Lee Jeonghyeop (Korea Republic)
Lee Jeonghyeop proved to be another unlikely star of the 2015 Asian Cup. Uncapped prior to this year and away from the spotlight at unglamorous Sangju Sangmu, Lee suddenly found himself a pivotal part of Uli Stielike’s forward line as Korea Republic marched all the way to the final. Tall and boasting trademark South Korean spirit, Lee netted twice, celebrating with an army salute to acknowledge his military service. The winner against Australia in the group stage and the semi-final opener against Iraq proved crucial goals for an injury-hit South Korean side missing the considerable talents of Koo Jacheol and Lee Chungyong.

Lee Jeong Hyeop

News leaks: AFC awarded UAE the hosting of Asian Cup 2019.

In Sydney , sources have leaked news that the AFC has already decided on the next hosting of the AFC Asian Cup 2019. Two countries have been shortlisted for the hosting, Iran and UAE. Both sides have claimed the support of the majority of the voting associations, but AFC has not indicated anything so far to put some light on the selected host nation. However, the news leak indicates that UAE has a lead on Iran and will be announced as the host in unspecified date.

Most of the work by the inspection teams and their reports are already completed.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said a date had not been set for a decision on whether Iran or United Arab Emirates would host the 24-team showpiece event.

“Probably in 2015, by next year we will decide,” the Bahraini royal told reporters in the last AFC gathering in Manila on late November.

Asked if the decision would be made at the AFC’s Congress in January prior to the 16-team Asian Cup, he added: “No. Some time in the middle of the year.”

The UAE are favorites to add yet another sporting event to their resume as hosts, but the Iranian bid claimed to receive support from FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who visited Tehran last year.

Shaikh Salman said he had no preference.

“No we will leave that to the people taking that responsibility. They have to analyze them and bring it to the ex-co so we can decide.”

Hosting the event involves high cost and limits the number of AFC members who can realistically stage it. Australia were the only bidders for the 2015 event and 11 ‘interested’ bids for 2019 quickly became two.

Meanwhile , Australia defeated UAE 2-0 in the second semifinals of the AFC Asian Cup 2015 in Newcastle to set a date with their nemesis South Korea on Saturday for the penultimate match of the competition.

South Korea and Australia have already met in the group stages , with the Koreans narrowly beating the host 1 – 0.

Iran take on UAE for top spot in Group C

Sydney (AFP) – Three-time Asian Cup winners Iran will go for a win against surprise package the United Arab Emirates on Monday as they try to avoid a likely quarter-final against holders Japan.

A draw would be good enough for the UAE to top Group C, owing to their goal difference, but Team Melli need all the points to move up from second spot.

While Iran are favourites in Brisbane, UAE’s attack inspired by star playmaker Omar Abdulrahman has netted six goals in two games and attracted admiring glances.

“In my opinion we will be playing the best team in West Asia,” said Iran’s coach Carlos Queiroz, formerly of Real Madrid, Portugal and Manchester United.

“They have played together for many years, been together since 17 (years old). They are a beautiful team to see,” he added.

Whichever team finishes second is likely to play either Jordan or Iraq in the quarter-finals. The game starts at 7:00 pm (0900 GMT).

“It’s good to finish first (top) because it gives motivation to the players for the second round,” said UAE coach Mahdi Ali. “(But) it doesn’t matter which team we have to play.

“We have no problem with Japan.”

The statistics aren’t in UAE’s favour — in 15 full internationals, the Emiratis have beaten the Iranians just once and there have been three draws.

In Sydney, Qatar and Bahrain are playing only for pride and their world ranking at 8:00 pm (0900 GMT), with both teams already out after two defeats.

Squads of UAE , Qatar and Bahrain.

Team Melli will be facing a tough task against 3 well prepared team in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup 2015 Australia.

With all the 3 opponents starting their preparation at least six months ahead of the competition and playing numerous friendly games, Team Mell has only managed one game against South Korea in Tehran while a scheduled match against Palestine was canceled in Azadi by the guests. Team Melli should have one last friendly against Iraq in Sydney.

On paper , Qatar is considered the favorite to qualify or top the group. Iran & UAE have equal chances to join the Qatari team while Bahrain is not been given much hope by the experts after their poor showing in the Gulf Cup and going through their 3rd coaching changes in a short time.

 

UAE

Exciting Al Ain playmaker Omar Abdulrahman has been included in the 24-man United Arab Emirates squad for next month’s AFC Asian Cup in Australia.

23-year-old Abdulrahman played a key role in Al Ain’s progress to the AFC Champions League semifinals this year. He has been selected in the squad by coach Madhi Ali, despite not having played competitive football since sustaining an injury during last month’s Gulf Cup. UAE were defeated 3-2 by eventual runners-up Saudi Arabia in the semifinals.

“Omar Abdulrahman is fine, his doctor reports he has started jogging. He needs five to seven days to get back to full fitness,” coach Ali told the official AFC Asian Cup website.

UAE are in the all-West Asian Group C of the elite continental competition along with fancied Iran — who impressed at June’s World Cup in Brazil — and neighbours Bahrain plus Gulf Cup winners Qatar.  

Ali has named six players who were not part of the Gulf Cup squad for the elite continental competition beginning in January. Al Ahli goalkeeper Majed Nasser and Al Wahda centre-back Hamdan Al Kamali have been recalled to the side.

UAE will play friendlies against Jordan and Kuwait after reaching Australia on Wednesday. After the friendlies, Ali will trim his squad down to 23 players.

UAE — who reached the final of the competition in 1996 when they were hosts — take on Qatar on Jan. 11 in their first group game in Canberra.

Squad:

Goalkeepers Majed Nasser, Ali Khaseif, Khalid Essa,

Defenders: Mohammed Fawzi, Abdulaziz Haikal, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohamed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Mohanad Salem,

Midfielders: Ismail Al Hammadi, Hassan Ibrahim, Majed Hassan, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Amer Abdulrahman, Haboosh Saleh, Mohamed Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman,

Forwards: Ali Mabkhout, Ahmed Khalil, Salem Saleh, Saeed Al Kathiri

 

[divider]

QATAR

Doha: Experienced striker Sebastian Soria was left out of Qatar’s 23-man squad for next month’s Asian Cup with the Gulf Cup winners instead opting for uncapped African-born forwards Tresor Kangambu and Mohammad Montari.

Soria won his 100th cap for Qatar in October and marked the milestone by scoring in a 3-0 success over fellow Asian Cup finalists Uzbekistan but it was not enough to make the squad for the Gulf Cup tournament the following month.

The 31-year-old has continued to score goals for Qatar Stars League champions Lekhwiya but national team head coach Djamel Belmadi opted against a recall when he named his travelling party for the Jan 9-31 tournament in Australia.

The Algerian instead went for the Congolese-born Kangambu, a wide forward who plays alongside Soria at the league leaders, and El Jaish’s striker Montari, who was born in Ghana.

The 27-year-old Kangambu moved to Qatar four years ago, while 21-year-old Montari has been in a rich vein of form for his club side in recent weeks. The duo joined Asian Player of the Year nominee Khalfan Ibrahim in the squad after the Al Sadd playmaker was recalled after he missed the Gulf Cup because of injury. Qatar have been drawn in an all West Asian Group C in Australia alongside Bahrain, Iran and United Arab Emirates.

The Maroons faceD final warm-up matches against Estonia , which saw them easily win  3-0 and Oman next week before they kick-off their campaign in Canberra on Jan. 11 against the UAE.

The 2022 World Cup hosts staged the Asian Cup four years ago, matching their tournament best showing of a quarter-final berth in 2000.

 

Squad :

Goalkeepers: Saad Al Sheeb (Al Sadd), Ahmed Sufyan (El Jaish), Qasem Burhan (Al Gharafa)

Defenders: Ahmadi Ali Mukhtar (Al Sadd), Abdelkarim Hassan (Al Sadd), Ibrahim Majid (Al Sadd), Mohammed Musa (Lekhwiya), Khalid Muftah (Lekhwiya), Abdulrahman Issa (El Jaish), Bilal Mohammed (Al Gharafa)

Midfielders: Khalfan Ibrahim (Al Sadd), Ali Assadalla (Al Sadd), Karim Boudiaf (Lekhwiya), Mohammed Muntari (El Jaish), Majed Mohammed (El Jaish), Khaled Al Zereiqi (El Jaish), Boualem Khoukhi (Al Arabi), Abdulaziz Hatem (Al Arabi), Ahmed Abdul Maqsood (Umm Salal)

Forwards:

Hassan Al Haidos (Al Sadd), Ismaeel Mohammad (Lekhwiya), Mohammed Tresor Abdullah (Lekhwiya), Meshal Abdullah (Al Ahli)

 

BAHRAIN

 

The Bahrain national soccer team arrived yesterday in Balart City, Australia, for their second training camp ahead of the 2015 Asia Cup to be held in Australia from January 9 to 31.

Bahrain are in Group ‘C’ with Iran, Qatar and the UAE.

Bahrain completed their first training camp in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday and the second camp will run till January 7.

The team will play its first friendly match tomorrow against Saudi Arabia.

They held their first practice session yesterday evening under the supervision of national coach Marjan Eid and his assistant Isa Al Sadoon. The team warmed up and worked out some tactical moves while the goalkeepers trained separately under goalkeepering caoch Abdulla Belal.

Faisal Bu Dahoom and Abdulla Abdo also trained separately under physical fitness trainer Deen Taylor as they are yet to fully recover from recent injuries.

The team will have an early evening training session before the friendly game tomorrow.

Coach Eid has included all three professional players – Fawzi Ayesh, Abdulla Omar and Jessi John – in the squad which was cut from 27 to 23 before leaving for Kuala Lumpur.

The trio were not selected by the previous coach Adnan Hamad of Iraq for the 22nd Gulf Cup held in Riyadh in October. Bahrain failed to qualify for the knock-out stage and coach Hamad was sacked.

The best position of Bahrain was in the 2004 edition in China where they were ranked 4th. Bahrain has a player nicknamed  “Karimi” after the famous Iranian player Ali Karimi.

 

Goalkeepers :Sayed Mohamed Jaafar (Muharraq)  Ashraf Waheed (Manama), and Hamad Al-Dosari (Al Riffa)

Defenders : Mohammed Hussain (Al Nasr KSA), Hussain Baba (Al Kuwait FC KWI),  Rashid Al-Houti (Al Busaiteen) ,  Abdullah Al-Hazza (Al Hidd) , Faisal Ali Budahoom (Al Riffa) , Mohammed Daij (Al Riffa), Walid Al Hayyam (Muharraq)

Midfielders: Abdullah Yusuf (East Riffa), Abdulla Abdo (Al Riffa), Abdullah Shallal (Al Riffa), Sami Al-Husseini (Al Busaiteen) , Abdullah Omar(Al Riffa), Fawzi Ayesh (Al Saliyya QAT),  Abdul Wahab Almalood (Al Hidd)

Forwards : Ismail Abdullatif (Al Nahdha KSA),  Abdulwahab Ali, Syed Zia Saeed Muharraq)  , Seyed Ahmed Jaffar “Karimi” (Al Busaiteen), Jaycee John Okwunwanne (Al Khraityat QAT), Mohammed Tayeb (Al Najma)

 

[divider]

 

Group C
UAE, Iran, Bahrain, Qatar
11 Jan 2015
06:00pm
           
UAE    vs.  Qatar
Canberra Stadium
**********************************
 
11 Jan 2015
08:00pm
           
Iran   vs.      Bahrain
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
**********************************
 
15 Jan 2015
06:00pm
             
Bahrain  vs.   UAE
V
Canberra Stadium
********************************** 
15 Jan 2015
08:00pm
             
Qatar   vs.     Iran
Stadium Australia
********************************** 
19 Jan 2015
08:00pm
             
Iran  vs      UAE
V
Brisbane Stadium
********************************** 
19 Jan 2015
08:00pm
         
Qatar  vs. Bahrain
V
Stadium Australia