Tag: Iran

11/06/2021

Team Melli is on the march : Iran 10 – 0 Cambodia

Iran defeated Cambodia 10-0 in Group C of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 on Friday to ensure their qualification hopes are very much in their own hands.

The win took Iran to 15 points and with Iraq – who defeated Hong Kong later on Friday to stay two points ahead at the top – up next on the final day of the Asian Qualifiers, a win for Team Melli will mean finishing as group winners.

Cambodia, meanwhile, ended their campaign with just one point to their name from eight matches.

Iran head coach Dragan Skocic made six changes to the starting line-up that had defeated Bahrain 3-0 in their previous match, but there was no disruption to service as the Central Asians took a firm grip on the match.

Cambodia, however, showed early determination but suffered a setback in the 15th minute when Iran were awarded a penalty after defender Sor Rotana’s foul on Alireza Jahanbaksh (pictured below, right), with the Iran skipper converting the spot-kick.

Iran continued to press and were rewarded again with Shojae Khalizadeh rising highest to head home a corner kick in the 22nd minute before Mehdi Taremi (pictured below, left) got into the goalscoring action with a half-volley to make it 3-0 five minutes later.

Iran’s fourth goal came through Rotana deflecting Milad Mohammadi’s cross past custodian Keo Soksela in the 32nd minute, with the inside of the crossbar denying the Central Asians a fifth before the break as Saeid Ezatolahi’s penalty rebounded off the woodwork.

Iran maintained a high tempo in the second half with Mohammadi etching his name on the scoresheet in the 57th minute, courtesy of Mehdi Ghayedi’s superb through pass, before Morteza Pouraliganji headed home a corner six minutes later.

Cambodia’s desperate defending led to another Iran penalty in the 77th minute, with Karim Ansarifard slotting home to make it 7-0.

There was no stopping Iran’s quest for goals, with Kaveh Rezaei becoming the seventh Team Melli player to find the back of the net after heading in Sadegh Moharammi’s cross in the 80th minute before Ghayedi displayed his dribbling talent in the box to beat Soksela from close range.

Rezaei bagged his second of the night in the 87th minute as Iran completed an emphatic win and set its sights on Iraq.

08/06/2021

Ali Daei – The Iran hero Cristiano Ronaldo MUST beat.

Ali Daei set the international goal record on 109 – he was in the World Cup’s ‘most politically charged game’, hit his record-equalling strike twice as a rival was struck by a FIRECRACKER… and downed Chelsea at club level!

Ali Daei scored 109 goals in 149 caps in his 13-year career with the Iranian team
Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on that tally – he has scored 103 for Portugal

By JACK BEZANTS FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 09:13 BST, 7 June 2021

It would have been impossible to realize it then but 15 years ago, on June 17, 2006, the paths of two players who have shaped the landscape of international football crossed for the only time.

Cristiano Ronaldo was one of them. That day, he scored his 12th goal for Portugal from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win against Iran as he helped his side seal a place in the last-16 of the World Cup.

The other was Ali Daei, the legendary Iran striker who with 109 goals in 149 matches, holds the record as the highest ever scorer in internationals. It is one of the few that Ronaldo hasn’t broken but with Euro 2020 on the horizon, he heads into the tournament narrowing his sights on that landmark with his tally at 103.

Daei had a 13-year career with Iran that lasted from 1993 until 2006 and he was involved in some incredible stories amid his relentless scoring record

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 12th goal for Portugal against Iran at the 2006 World Cup, a game where striker Ali Daei was an unused substitute.

That day, the 36-year-old Daei was an unused substitute. He would play just one more time for Iran, in the ensuing dead rubber group match against Angola which ended 1-1, without him scoring.

Daei’s career is an intriguing tale. His name is at the summit of a long list of players who thrived on the international scene more so than at club level. Pulling on the colors of ‘Team Melli’ brought the best out of the 6ft 4in striker, who was unsurprisingly strong in the air and had a poacher’s instinct in the box.

It wasn’t straightforward for Daei to make it as a footballer. His father didn’t want him to play the game at all until he graduated school and he trained as a metallurgical engineer. But his mother secretly helped him develop his footballing talent, without his dad knowing.

‘I used to leave home without my football uniform and my mother would smuggle it out for me so that I could play,’ Daei told the New York Times in 1998.

He made his Iran debut in 1993 and across Asia, promptly established himself as the most prolific marksman in the game. In fact, just 13 of his goals came outside of the continent and in the way that Ronaldo cashes in when he plays the Faroe Islands or Andorra, Daei did likewise against teams such as Nepal and Sri Lanka.

But Daei’s story as a player is far more remarkable than just banging them in again in against sub-standard opposition. If anything, it encapsulates the pureness of football because while nobody is debating who the more talented is out of Daei or Ronaldo, his story shows how scoring goals can bring greatness.

He scored 20 goals in a calendar year for Iran in 1996 and with a four-goal haul against Lagos in 2004, became the first man to bring up three figures in international football.

Goal No 84 was perhaps one of the most significant. It was that strike that took him level on the all-time scoring charts with the legendary Hungarian Ferenc Puskas but remarkably, Daei had to score it twice before it could count.

Iran were facing North Korea at Tehran’s Azadi stadium in November 2003 and in the second half, they got a penalty. Daei stepped up, scored, and amid the pandemonium, a fan threw a firecracker onto the pitch that hit a North Korean player in the face.

North Korea walked off and refused to play the game, prompting the referee to abandon the match and award Iran a 3-0 win.

But that meant Daei’s penalty was erased and Puskas stood alone on 84 goals for a little longer. Daei eventually moved level with him for good the following week, again from the penalty spot in a match against Lebanon in Beirut.

Later that November, back in Tehran, Daei scored the only goal of the game against Kuwait to move alone on 85 international goals.

Daei didn’t score in the biggest game he played in for Iran, against the United States in the 1998 World Cup. It was billed ‘the most politically charged match in World Cup history’, and for good reason.

Daei pictured celebrating with Iranian supporters after qualifying for the 1998 World Cup. Around him, fans hold up pictures of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khameini. Iran were drawn against the United States at the tournament, in a game that was billed ‘the most politically charged match in World Cup history’

The day before the game in France, Daei (right) and his team, including coach Jalal Talebi (pictured) were given orders from Khameini not to walk towards the American team

Relations between Iran and the US had descended since the 1979 Islamic Revolution which ousted the pro-Western Shah and replaced him with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who denounced the US as ‘the Great Satan’.

The US had severed diplomatic ties with Iran after the US embassy hostage seize in 1979 and the following year supported Saddam Hussein when Iraq inavaded Iran in what became an eight-year war.

FIFA rules state that Team B in a fixture approach Team A and in this case, Iran were B. But on the day before the game, Khomeini had forbidden Daei and the team to walk towards the Americans, so FIFA negotiated a compromise where the US side walked to Iran.

Fortunately, the hostilities between the countries didn’t transcend onto the pitch. Daei and his teammates were each given a bouquet of white roses to walk out onto the pitch with – a symbol of peace in Iranian culture – and they handed them to the Americans before having a team photo together.

Incredibly, Iran then won the game 2-1 with Daei turning provider for the second and decisive goal, scored by Mehdi Mahdavikia. That victory also dumped the States out of the World Cup.

Iran’s players headed out onto to pitch with bouquets white roses, a peace offering in Iranian culture, to hand over to their opponents on the United States national side

Iran and the US players had a team photo together before the match kicked off – Daei is No 10 and pictured fourth left, in the back row

Daei didn’t score for Iran that day but assisted the second goal as they beat USA 2-1

That same summer, Daei was plying his trade in Europe and had joined Bayern Munich from Arminia Bielefeld, but he struggled to transfer his scoring record with Iran to the German Bundesliga.

He scored just six times in 32 games during the 1998-99 season but became the first Asian player to play in the Champions League.

Chelsea fans may remember him when, the following season, he joined Hertha Berlin and scored twice in a Champions League clash against a Blues side containing the likes of Marcel Deasilly, Gianfranco Zola, and the now France manager, Didier Deschamps.

He retired in 2007 when, back in Iran, he scored in the final to help his team Sapia win the Persian Gulf Cup.

Since then, he has had coaching which has delivered varying degrees of success, including a spell at the helm of the Iranian national side.

+13

Daei struggled to replicate his scoring record when he played for Bayern Munich but he became the first Asian player to play in the Champions League

And when he joined Hertha Berlin in 1999, he showed his scoring prowess against Chelsea

Daei scored twice as Hertha defeated Chelsea 2-1 in a Champions League encounter

Daei is, however, fully prepared for Ronaldo to break his scoring tally as Portugal’s head into this summer’s tournament as defending champions.

Speaking to Tuttomercato in Italy back in November, he said: ‘I sincerely hope that Cristiano Ronaldo will reach my goal record for the national team.

‘In no way [would I be hurt], it would be a real honor for me if a player of his class could do it.

‘Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players not only of his time but of all time. He is an absolute phenomenon. I would congratulate him directly. But first, he has to get there.’

01/06/2021

Team Melli arrives at Bahrain

After a grueling 4 days training camp in Kish Island in the Persian Gulf, Team Melli flew the short trip to Bahrain onboard a chartered flight and landed in the evening.

The coaching staff worked on the fitness and endurance of the players under hot, sultry, and humid conditions of the Persian Gulf. Heavy breathing and hydrated bodies were evident during these sessions.

The Iranian national team has to play four crucial matches in a compromised situation orchestrated to undermine Team Melli’s chances to qualify for the next round of the World Cup. Iran is not only a victim of politics and interests, a common occurrence in the world of football across the world, it has also to fight climatical conditions that historically have been not very favorable for the Iranians.

As if these two negative aspects are not bad enough, the pandemic in Bahrain has reached a record level and the country is in lockdown until 10th June. Bahrain is now in the top 5 countries in the world in terms of number of positive cases and deaths due to Coronavirus. The figures are measured in terms cases of per capita. The increased number of covid19 cases in Bahrain has not deemed a serious threat for selecting Bahrain as a host.

This unfavorable situation prompted the technical staff to hold a camp before entering Bahrain. Team Melli training sessions were accompanied by excessive sweating and heavy breathing,

However, despite the brave effort of the coaching team in picking Kish island for the short training camp, it is hardly effective in assisting the players playing under extreme conditions. The time spent in Kish, which has a similar climate to Bahrain, is certainly too short for the players to adapt to environmental conditions. The Iranians will be fighting dehydration and loss of energy, while it favors the host team that has already acclimatized to such conditions.

Another issue that has been a major concern for the players for many years and highlighted by Carlos Queiroz repeatedly, is the poor quality of the kits used by Team Melli. The not-so-advanced training kit, which weighs on the player’s body due to the lack of modern technologies for heat dissipation, has been a burden on the players.

After arriving in Bahrain and taking the corona test, the Iranian squad will train on June 11th and 12th, while on June 13th, they will face Hong Kong in their first match. Team Melli’s next match would be with host Bahrain a match that might decide the qualification from this group.

29/05/2021

Hng Kong has ‘fighting’ unit ready for battle

Head Coach Mixu Paatelainen says Hong Kong are heading for Bahrain with a team of “fighters” on Saturday as they get ready for a seemingly impossible task in the Middle East for the remaining 2022 Fifa World Cup Asian zone qualifiers.

Despite missing several key players who play in China as their clubs have refused to release them due to quarantine requirements, the Finn was still happy with his squad before they face regional heavyweights Iraq, Iran and hosts Bahrain in the next two weeks.

“I am very happy with the squad, a squad of players who are fighters, a squad of players who have a fantastic attitude and they are the players I want,” said Paatelainen, whose contract with the Hong Kong Football Association is due to expire next month and will leave Hong Kong for Bahrain on Saturday night.

“We will face three high level opponents in the event, but I am delighted with the players’ attitude. Every one is fully committed. In fact, it has been a long time since we last got together and therefore it’s great to see the boys again, talk to them and prepare them for the event.”

“Fighter” Ngan Lok-fung during a practice session with the Hong Kong team at Tseung Kwan O Football Centre. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

One of the “fighters”, midfielder Ngan Lok-fung whose impressive performance with Lee Man this season has earned him a call-up to the Hong Kong team after an eight-year absence.

“I like him [Ngan] as a player, as a character because he is a fighter, he is a ball winner with a never give up attitude. He is exactly the character that we need for these matches,” said the manager.

“I am not a gifted player but I just want to prove that if I keep working hard, the chance will come one day,” said the midfielder, whose work rate and ball control skills steered his club to third place in the Premier League with three wins in the play-off stage against Eastern, Pegasus and champions Kitchee.

Hong Kong are in fourth place in group C after a 2-0 win against visitors Cambodia 18 months ago. The team had been scheduled to meet Iran in Tehran in March 2020 but the pandemic threw the world sporting calendar upside down until the Asian Football Confederation rearranged the schedule by calling off the home-and-away format and replacing it with a zonal competition in Bahrain.

Leung Kwun-chung, who can play different positions in defence, also returns to the Hong Kong team after a long absence. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Iraq and Bahrain are the two unbeaten teams in the group, with Iraq leading the standings on 11 points from five games, followed by Bahrain who are two points behind. Iran are third on six points but have a game in hand. Hong Kong have five points, while Cambodia sit firmly at the bottom with one point.

Hong Kong will be massive underdogs against the three Middle East powers in Bahrain, but Paatelainen is not about to concede without a fight.

“I never go to a football match to lose, never,” said the manager. “I want to see a fighting team, I want to see the players out there who will do everything for the team. They are not just running around like headless chickens, I want them to know tactically their positions, how to move and how to make it difficult for our opponents.”

Mixu Paatelainen during Hong Kong’s 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying match against Iran. Hong Kong lost 2-0 at home. Photo: Felix Wong

Paatelainen has selected a squad of 25 players, including defensive midfielder Diego Moreira of Eastern, the latest naturalised player, but two of them, Sandro and Fernando, another newly naturalised player, withdrew before the first training session.

Hong Kong will meet Iran on June 3 before getting a one-week break ahead of their second match against Iraq on June 11. Hong Kong will play the hosts in their last match on June 15.

12/04/2021

Iran files CAS complaint against AFC for awarding Bahrain World Cup qualifiers

The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) decision to choose Bahrain as its centralized host for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The AFC said last month the remaining matches in the second round qualifying group, which features the hosts as well as Iran, Iraq, Cambodia, and Hong Kong, would be played in Bahrain in late May and early June.

Iran had been scheduled to play three of their last four group fixtures at home, including their return match against Bahrain, and protested to the AFC at being “deprived” of their right to host matches.

“After the announcement by the AFC Secretary-General that the decision was irreversible, the Iran Football Federation appealed against the decision … before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS),” read a statement posted on the federation’s website.

“The Football Federation of Iran has requested the Court of Arbitration for a speedy review of the case.”

The AFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran has long had a fractious political relationship with Bahrain, tensions which were exacerbated when the island kingdom signed a peace treaty with Israel last year.

The Bahrain Football Association was fined 20,000 Swiss francs ($21,530.84) by FIFA for various offenses including the booing of the Iranian anthem during a World Cup qualifier between the nations in Riffa in 2019, which the hosts won 1-0.

Iran striker Mehdi Taremi last month raised questions about the extreme heat in Bahrain in May and June and alleged that the AFC, which is led by Bahraini royal Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, was routinely biased against his country.

Iraq leads Group C with Bahrain in second, while Iran, who have qualified for the last two World Cups, is third, five points behind the leaders with a game in hand.

Only the group winners of each of the eight groups in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are guaranteed to advance to the next phase of the competition.

The matches are due to be played from May 31 until June 15 after the COVID-19 pandemic saw all of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers postponed during 2020.

In mid-March, the AFC awarded Bahrain hosting rights for Group C in Asian qualifying after deciding to keep the upcoming fixtures in one place due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Cup hosts Qatar, as well as China, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and South Korea, were all respectively awarded hosting duties for their respective groups.

Later that month, the AFC sent a letter to the FFIRI in which it insisted that Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC President, had not intervened in selecting his home country for the qualifiers.

“While we appreciate the interest by the FFIRI to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, we would like to inform that the decision was made by the AFC general secretariat after due consideration and deliberation, factoring various areas, including but not limited to the standard of the proposed stadiums, risk assessment on logistical, commercial and financial arrangements for the participating member associations as well as the national COVID-19 pandemic status,” read the letter.

“The AFC President does not intervene in the decisions made by the AFC general secretariat.”

The FFIRI has since announced it would be appealing the hosting rights being given to Bahrain.

“The AFC has chosen Bahrain as the centralized venue and has said the venue cannot be changed at all,” read a statement from FFIRI, as reported by the Tehran Times.

“We’ve asked CAS to take the issue into consideration as soon as possible.”

Bahrain is set to host the remainder of the Asian Group C qualifying matches ©Getty Images

It is reported that the Bahrain Football Association submitted its interest to host the group on February 16 and offered to pay Iran’s expenses for the competition the following day.

The Tehran Times reported that Kuwait was awarded hosting over group rivals Jordan in respect to fair play, giving Kuwait their anticipated home tie.

Iran was not given this same treatment in relation to Bahrain, with its football authorities expressing concerns over a two-week period in late March and refusing to travel to Bahrain’s capital Manama for a proposed meeting on April 3.

FFIRI had to file an appeal to CAS by March 31, which it reportedly did minutes ahead of the legal deadline and this was acknowledged last Monday (April 5). An online meeting involving AFC President Sheikh Salman and AFC general secretary Dato’ Windsor John took place on Tuesday (April 6), but the Iran appeal was not discussed. Iran had been scheduled to host three of the four remaining matches before COVID-19 caused issues with qualifying. These were set to take place in Tehran against rivals Iraq, Bahrain, and Hong Kong, while their only away game against Cambodia was set to be held in Pnom Penh.

08/10/202009/10/2020

Team Melli defeats Uzbekistan.

In the first match under the Croatian head coach Dragan Skocic, Team Melli defeated Uzbekistan in Tashkent 2-1.

The first half ended 1-0 for Iran with Sardar Azmoun (44′) scoring from just outside the box. Mehdi Taremi (51′) scored Iran’s second from a penalty spot after he was fouled in the box. E. Shomurodov scored Uzbekistan’s only goal two minutes after Taremi’s penalty.

Both teams have introduced new faces in their line ups with Iran using many of the Persepolis players that have just qualified for the final of AFC Champions League. Sardar Azmoun could have put Iran in the lead but his tame shot missed the target after a quick counter-attack. Iran had most of the possession and was dangerous on the counter.

In the second half, the pace of the match slowed down after the two goals. The various substitution meant that both teams had difficulty finding their rhythm with both sets of new players finding it hard to gel.

The new-look central defense of Khalilzadeh and Kanani-Zadegan was quite solid but a momentarily poor marking allowed Shomurodov to score a soft goal against Team Melli. Payam Nazmand could have done much better though. The Sepahan debutant still needs much more experience with the team. His punching of the ball on crosses were less than satisfactory and allowed the Uzbek to counter again.

The midfield still lacks a creative schemet=r although Ali Gholizadeh provided some promise.

Upfront, Azmoun, and Taremi combined to create many chances but the finishing needs to improve.

Iran will p[lay Mali next in Antalya m Turkey.

07/10/202007/10/2020

Two Mali players switch allegiance

Mali national football team received disappointing news before the friendly international game against Iran.

According to ISNA and quoting the malijet site, the national football team of Mali and Iran should play in a friendly match.

Prior to this match, the Mali coach hoped to improve the quality of his team by inviting two valuable English Premier League players. Former Barcelona player Adama Traore, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers, and new Everton star Abdullah Ducoure, who were called up to the Mali national football team for the first time, both players declined the Mali national team invitation and will not play against Iran.

Traore, who was also invited to the Spanish national football team by Enrique, decided to accept the Spanish invitation and play for this team. Ducoure also chose the French national football team and declined to accept his homeland football team. This was not the only bad news for Mali before the game against Iran. Hoffenheim striker Samasco also suffered an injury and is out of the squad and will miss the match against Iran in Antalya, Turkey.

The Iranian national football team, which appointed Dragan Skocic as head coach several months ago, will now play for the first time under the guidance of the Croatian coach.

29/09/202029/09/2020

More friendlies lined up for Team Melli

Mali national football team invited 30 players in preparation for the team’s training camp and to hold two friendly matches against Ghana and Iran.

The Mali Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) has announced the Les Aigles will play two friendly matches next month. Mali team has been inactive since November 2019 when they faced Guinea and Chad in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

And as part of preparations for the matches against Namibia, Mali will now face Ghana on October 9 in Turkey before facing Iran three days later in Ankara.

Team Melli will meet Uzbekistan in its first friendly match in Tashkent on Thursday, October 8, and then will leave for Turkey to meet the Mali national football team on October 13. Adama Traore, a 24-year-old player who has also played for the Spanish Under-21 team, has not yet played for the national team and has been called up to the Mali national football team for a friendly against Ghana and Iran.

This player is going to choose Mali as his national team. Traore was also called up by Luis Enrique to the Spanish national football team for two games in the League of Nations, but at that time his corona test was positive. Former Mali striker Conte has been sent to persuade him to play for the team. Last season, he was one of the best players in the English Premier League, who dazzled the crowds mostly due to his acceleration, dribbling ability, and physical strength.

He is not the only star who was invited to the Mali national football team for these two matches. Abdullah Ducoure, who plays for Everton under Ancelotti this season and has played for France’s Under-21 side, along with Moosa Marga of Porto (Mehdi Taremi’s teammate) and Southampton’s Musa Dinpo, are players who have been invited to the strong Mali national football team.

12/08/2020

World Cup qualifiers postponed again to 2021!

FIFA has issued a statement postponing the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers and AFC Asian Cup 2023 for another few months to 2012.

With this further postponement, it is difficult to envisage normal league schedules and international matches to complete by the Winter of 2022 when the Qatar World Cup is scheduled to start, assuming FIFA will not address that.

Team Melli, currently in the 3rd place of the table behind Iraq and Bahrain was scheduled to play Hong Kong on the 8th of October in the return legs.

Following is the FIFA statement:

“In light of the current COVID-19 situation in many countries, FIFA and the Asian Confederation (AFC) have jointly decided that the upcoming qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and AFC Asian Cup China 2023, originally scheduled to take place during the international match windows in October and November 2020, will be rescheduled to 2021.

With the aim of protecting the health and safety of all participants, FIFA and the AFC will continue to work together to closely monitor the situation in the region and to identify new dates for the respective qualifying matches. Further details on the new dates for the next round of qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and Asian Cup 2023 will be announced in due course.”

01/05/2020

Iran hosting of AFC Asian Cup 2027!

Recently there have been some reports, possibly leaked to the media by FFIRI, about Iran requesting the hosting of AFC Asian Cup 2027. This suggestion has been carried by many media and sports publications. The is article discusses whether this possibility is realistic or just another gag to entertain the Iranian fans under the lockdown of COVID-19.

For a starter, news, or rumors of FFIRI application for Iran to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027 has been met by a wave of criticism from football fans and critics mainly targeting the Iranian federation’s action. This comes at a time when the Asian Football’s most prestigious event (AFC Asian Cup) requires major resources and infrastructure while Iran’s football, in general, is in the midst of a major crisis that is unparalleled in the country and will probably take years to recover.

* Hosting under current infrastructure?

At first glance, attention needs to be drawn to stadiums with FIFA standards, which are not available in Iran, as Sheikh Salman, the AFC president, recently announced that to host the event, which will be 24 teams tournament, eight to ten stadiums will be required. Despite the construction of stadiums such as Imam Reza, Shohadaye Foolad and Naghshe Jehan, etc., Iran is still miles away from such a standard required for hosting.

* Logistics and accommodation

The important issues are those related to the transportation, logistics, accommodation, and marketing in such competitions, which require high fortitude and cooperation of government agencies and cannot be done by an organization such as the Football Federation or the Ministry of Sports. A look at the list of requirements for each country to hold this event shows that Iran has not had a history of holding major events since 1976, that is 44 years ago when the competition had 8 teams and most matches were played in the state-of-the-art newly built Arayamehr Stadium.

The current sporting infrastructure has not developed efficiently since the revolution. War, Political environment, priorities, sanctions, and most importantly financial resources were poorly allocated for sports venues. Unless one believes in a miracle, it is really difficult to envisage all the factors merging towards achieving the target of 10 stadia by 2027

* Poor facilities of host cities.

Of course, there will be other Iranian cities that will host the group matches. Not all efforts and resources would be channeled towards hosting in Tehran only. In the current state, there are many problems in terms of transportation, logistics, and sports infrastructure, across the main cities in Iran. Although some cities have good facilities such as Mashhad which has an international airport and modern subway system, it lacks a proper FIFA Standard stadium while other options such as Esfahan has a good stadium that can easily host matches, but their transportation facilities and accommodations lag behind.

The most vital of the facilities, accommodation is a problem in other cities as well. The lack of 5-star hotels in some cities, as well as the difficulties of obtaining customs and visa permits, and finally the ban on women’s presence in the stadiums culminate in a poor chance of hosting.

* Advertising revenues and copyright laws.

In a strange system, in Iran, the broadcaster never pays the football federation. In fact, IRIB the government-owned broadcaster and the only authorized TV and Radio broadcaster had the audacity to claim that it should be the other way round as IRIB is doing football a favor by broadcasting matches!

In Iran, there is no Copyright laws either, at least not the way it is recognized and practiced internationally. Clubs or the federation cannot claim nor count on revenues from companies who commercially use logos or other materials to sell their products. Therefore there are no official kits or jerseys by the clubs because cheaper products can be sold alongside genuine products without the protection or respect of copyrights.

While, the case of advertising revenues can be easily sorted out for the Asian Cup tournament, as the AFC has a solid and well laid down contractual clause that is legally binding, the copyright laws is well outside the football federation’s jurisdiction and AFC has no role to play in it. Copyright protection requires the government to initiate and produce legislation. It has to be passed as a law. Then the suggested copyright law clauses need to be approved by the Majlis (parliament) and that in itself is not an easy task. The judiciary also needs to be on board and prosecute the offenders. Different government within governments like Pasdaran, Sepah, and the religious establishment will always have their own rules and understanding of any law. In brief, it is not an easy task to create copyright laws in Iran, where chaotic political-religious system rules supreme.

Several attempts of the establishment of this law have failed, and it is unlikely that such laws will be established by 2027 or before.

* Financial and executive crisis in the Football Federation.

Iran’s request for hosting the Asian Cup will be looked upon in association with the integrity, strength, legitimacy, and competency of the persons running the football federation. At the moment, FFIRI is in crisis and facing sanctions by FIFA for many issues but mainly due to government interference. With such shady administration, it is unlikely that many will vote for Iran while the administrators are busy saving their own skins.

**Former FFIRI President, who has been outside Iran for many months, is under scrutiny for financial irregularities**

in 2014, UAE won the hosting of the 2019 Asian Cup instead of Iran. The UAE, met the conditions and the requirements to host the event and was able to prepare for the competition in four years. It has a well-established copyright law that is strictly implemented. There are plenty of international airports that are served by hundreds of airlines, it had the ideal infrastructure, hotels, stadia, perfect road system, Trams(Dubai), and resources, so it was a no brainer for it to be chosen as hosts.

How is Iran compared now? will it have the chance this time with competition from Saudi Arabia and India?

Given the country’s economic situation and existing sanctions, the efforts required to establish or amend laws like copyright, intellectual property protection, women in the stadium, and the resources required to massively upgrade the stadiums in Tehran and other Iranian cities, the answer is a categorical NO.

There are far too many problems and issues for Iran’s hosting of major sporting events in the magnitude of the Asian Cup. Any such attempt by FFIRI to send the hosting file to AFC as a candidate for AFC Asian Cup 2027 will only be an embarrassment for Iran while it may serve as a propaganda tool for the current FFIRI administrators.