Four-time winners Iran aim to be
continental kings
BUSAN, South Korea, Oct 14 (AFP) - Iran are hoping their fourth Asian Games
gold medal football triumph will set the stage for a sustained bid to become the
undisputed rulers of the sport on the continent.
Iran beat Japan 2-1 in Sunday's final to clinch a fourth Games football gold and
now they want to see that success translated into long-term achievement instead
of the boom-bust which has dogged the national set-up.
| "Iran loves football and the people are very sensitive to
results," said their Croatian coach Branco Ivancovic. "But the team's failure to reach the last World Cup was felt as a huge disappointment throughout the country." The national team missed out on the 2002 World Cup finals when they tamely surrendered their domination of the Asian zone to find themselves muscled out in a play-off by the Republic of Ireland. Four years earlier, Iran had
reached the finals in France while their under-23 team won the Bangkok Asian
Games gold later in the year.
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Missing the grieving Ali Daei, who had flown home following the death of
his father, as well as the suspended Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht and Eman Mobali, it
was unheralded duo Javad Kazemeyan and Mohsen Bayatiniya who grabbed the glory
with the two decisive goals.
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Bayatiniya was only in the team because of Daei's absence,
but Ivancovic stressed that his skipper's problems had served as a cooling
effect on what can often be an explosive combination of players. "We were handicapped by not having important players so to win the tournament with such an inexperienced line-up is a great acheivement," added the coach. Despite the defeat, Japan coach Masakuni Yamamoto said that even reaching the final had been a bonus for a team made up of under-21 players. "I didn't expect us to get through six tough matches here but I think that we can take great comfort from the fact that we have established the next generation of players," said Yamamoto who saw his side commit two defensive howlers which presented Iran with victory. Striker Satoshi Nakayama, who scored five times in the tournament, said that Japan, who were playing in their first ever Asian Games final, can take heart from the way they played. |
"Iran are a good side but I didn't see a big difference between the two teams,"
said the Gamba Osaka striker.
"We displayed some good aspects and were very solid. This is not the end for us
- now we can aim much higher."
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