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Unsettled Iran search for elusive win in qualifying
BANGKOK,
March 24 (Reuters) - Troubled Iran may have finally put their house in
order off the field, but on it things are not looking good for the
three-times World Cup qualifiers.
Despite having untangled themselves from months of
mess, including persistent political problems and a drawn-out coaching
crisis, Iran are without a win since July and have not scored in six
matches ahead of this week's World Cup qualifiers.
They travel to Kuwait on Wednesday desperate for
victory to make amends for a string of uninspiring performances,
including a humiliating goalless draw at home to part-timers Syria in
their opening Group 5 qualifier.
Now that all-time top goalscorer and former Asian
player of the year Ali Daei is in charge, Iran's players can no longer
complain of a lack of leadership and their impatient fans will expect
nothing less than three points.
However, according to Kuwait's Croatian coach
Radion Gacanin, that may not be so easy.
'Iran are the stronger team, they have a lot of
European-based players, but it will be difficult for them,' said Gacanin,
who like Daei coaches both club and country.
'In football, anyone can beat anyone. We are at
home, we have to win and they have not played well lately, it's been bad
for them,' he told Reuters. |
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