AFC

Iranian football federation announced the names of 30 players who are invited to join the Iranian national Team camp in preparations for the upcoming Asian Cup which is to kick off in July. Seven players will be eliminated before the final list announced for the trip to the Far East.
Two major absentees are the World Cup goalkeeper , who has been on the injury list most of the season , and another World Cup team member Mehrzad Madanchi. Ali Samereh , who had a yet another brilliant season in the UAE was absent from the list as expected

With Iran's participation in  West Asian Football Tournament , some players will be involved in that competition before the final list is announced by the head coach Amir Ghelenoei.

After the away games against Mexico , Team Melli is expected to arrange a further two games in preparation fro this years competition. Amongst the candidates for the friendly games is Ghana , the powerful African team. Ghalenoei’s men are among the favourites to claim Asia’s premier competition and start their Group C campaign against Uzbekistan in Kuala Lumpur on July 11, before taking on China and co-hosts Malaysia.

 

The list of the 30 invited players:

Goalkeepers

Vahid Taleblou (Esteghlal Tehran) ; Hasan Roudbarian (Pas) ;Seyed Mehdi Rahmati (Esteghlal Tehran)

Defenders:

 Rahman Rezaei (Livorno,ITA) ; Mohammad Nosrati(Pas) , Seyed Jalal Hosseini (Saipa) , Hadi Aghili (Sepahan Esfahan) ;Amir-Hossein Sadeghi (Esteghlal Tehran) ; Hadi Shakouri (Al Arabi, QAT)

Midfielders:

Mehdi Mahdavikia (Eintracht Frankfut, GER) ;Ali Karimi (Bayern Munich, GER*) ; Javad Nekounam (CA Osasuna, ESP) ; Andranik Teymourian (Bolton Wanderers, ENG) ; Ferydoon Zandi (Apollon Limassol, CYP*) ; Hossein Kaabi (Persepolis) ;Ali-Reza Vahedi-Nikbakht (Persepolis) ; Sattar Zare (Bargh Shiraz) ; Ebrahim Sadeghi (Saipa) ;Iman Mobali (Al Shabab, UAE) ; Mohammad Nouri (Sepahan Esfahan) ; Masoud Shojaei (Al Sharjah, UAE) ; Maziar Zare (Malavan Anzali) ; Kianoush Rahmati (Pas) ;Morteza Asadi - ( Saba Battery)

Strikers:
Vahid Hashemian (Hannover 96, GER) ; Reza Enayati (Al Emarat, UAE) ; Mehdi Rajabzadeh (Zob Ahan Esfahan) ; Javad Kazemian (Al Shaab, UAE) ; Rassoul Khatibi (Al Emarat, UAE) ;Hossein Badamaki (Persepolis)