Tag: Johannesburg

Team Melli routs Platinum Stars 6-0

Team Melli defeated Platinum Stars 6-0 in its final preparation match of its training camp in Johannesburg , South Africa.

Mohammad Nouri scored a hat trick, while Habib Gordani, Masoud Hassanzadeh, and Sajjad Shahbazadeh scored a goal each to complete the rout against the bottom of the table South African First Division team . Platinum Stars played a league match on Saturday against Free State Stars and lost 3-1. For the match against Team Melli , mostly reserve players were utilized by the struggling South african team.

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This match concludes the weak and low-key preparations by Team Melli in South Africa.  While almost all the legionnaires who are expected to form the bulk of the team line up are absent , except for Azmoun, the federation failed to arrange any quality opposition to test these players against strong teams which Iran will be facing in Australia. The 3 breadcrumb friendlies were mostly due to personal contacts of Carlos Queiroz , however none of the South African clubs were prepared to field their strongest side due to league programs commitments and the upcoming festive seasons holidays.

Team Melli is scheduled to return to Tehran on December 24th. The next friendly before the AFC Asian Cup 2015 will be against Palestine.

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Second win for Team Melli against Pirates reserves

 Team Melli defeated Orlando Pirates’ reserves 3-1 in a friendly in Johannesburg, South Africa on Friday.

The Sepahan contingent managed to score all the goals of Team Melli in the match. Ehsan Hajsafi was on target twice in the 47th and 70th minutes helping himself to a brace while Mehdi Sharifi scored in the 61st minute.

Orlando Pirates pulled a goal back in the 75th minute. A group of about 30 Iranians mostly families residing in Johannesburg attended the match to cheer for Iran.

Team Melli was held 3-3 against the South African football club in April as part of the preparations for the 2014 World Cup.

Iran had defeated Kaizer Chiefs reserves 2-0 on Wednesday.

The Asian Cup will kick off in Australia on January 9, with Iran playing Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE in Group C.

Team Melli is scheduled to play against Palestine on December 28 in Tehran before departing to Australia. Team Melli will meet Iraq in another friendly in Australia six days before their opening match against Bahrain.

Cartlos Queiroz appeals to the authorities to release his players.

Carlos Queiroz , Team Melli  coach with “humility” urged the football federation and the authorities to find a solution for the missing key players in the squad.

On arrival in Johannesburg , Queiroz gave a brief statement to the press , pleading with his superiors to actively seek the release of players such as Mehrdad Pooladi , Soroush Rafei , Hossein Mahini , Mohammad Nouri and others who are either totally banned from playing football or have restriction on their playing  rendering them not being able to be in the squad. The restrictions are normally in the form of players not being allowed to leave the country under military service regulations.

Queiroz said “ In order to achieve our objectives , I need players. I’m respectfully  appealing to  the authorities to realize the importance of the presence of some key players that we require and work to solve their problems.”.

He said officials of the Football Association and coaches of Team Melli  meantime, spent a lot of energy and worked hard. “Despite months without being pay,  we’ve worked hard to achieve the team goals. With respect to the authorities, we humbly believe that there are ways we want to help the team, it would be no cost!”

Responding to the question whether any friendly games in the South African camp has been arranged, Queiroz said “as long as we have players missing , I do not have anything to say about this topic.”

Team Melli is setting up a 10 days camp in Johannesburg in preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2015 in Australia. No friendly matches have been confirmed yet in this camp.

Team Melli leaves to Johannesburg.

Team Melli left Tehran en route to Johannesburg via Dubai for a 10 day training camp with 21 players in the squad.

2 players were left behind. Mohammad Nouri , Persepolis Captain is banned from leaving the country because of a court order and tax issues, while Soroush Rafei has Military service pending. Queiroz has asked the FFIRI to act to release these two , but realistically it is a long shot as the cases of the two are not the type that Kaffashian can solve by picking up the phone and everything becomes settled.

Naft Tehran provided 4 player to Team Melli , a record by this club. Their players were quite enthusiastic and spoke to the press before departure. The veteran Iman Mobali who last played for Team Melli in AFC Asian Cup 2011, hoped that he can gian the trust and confidence of the coach and win a place in the squad to Australia. Vahid Amiri , believed that the camp will be very beneficial and echoed the sentiments of his teammate, Mobali. Amiri acknowledged that the majority of the squad are young and inexperienced but hoped that the objectives of the camp is realized for the coaching staff.

The 10 days Johannesburg training camp does not have any confirmed official or friendly matches. It is hoped that Queiroz , through personal contacts, can set up a match or two with some outfit to save the blushes of the federation and the training camp.

Zimbabwe friendly match turned down.

As part of the preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2015 , the FFIRI seemed to have arranged a rare friendly match with Zimbabwe in Tehran. However , for reasons that are only known to the federation , this friendly like many others in the last few years has been cancelled. It is presumed , it must have something to do with money or lack of it by the federation.

On hearing that Iran is setting a training camp next door in South Africa, and to compensate for the cancelled match in Azadi , the Zimbabwe Football Federation wrote to its Iranian counterpart offering an alternative by  suggesting a friendly match in Johannesburg on 22nd December, as reported by ISNA. The Zimbabweans stated in the letter that it will forgo the standard match fees but needs the Iranians to pay for the logistics of the squad only (Air fare and Hotel accommodations) , FFIRI calculated the amount to be approximately US$ 40,000 which it considers to be excessive and above its capability , hence it declined the offer from the African country.

FFIRI is actively looking at South African sides for friendly matches at the camp provided it costs nothing or a small fee at best.

Friendly game against Kenya is off

Team Melli is preparing for the second training camp in its program for the AFC Asian Cup 2015. The camp is scheduled to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

As part of the program, a friendly international match was supposed to be played with an African team. The FFIRI negotiated with several teams and eventually picked Kenya as an opposition for the friendly which was supposed to be played in South Africa. The East African team demanded US$ 50,000 to cover the cost of logistics and accommodation, which FFIRI turned down as too expensive! The match is therefore canceled while FFIRI is actively looking for a cheaper team to play against!

Team Melli is scheduled to play against South Korea on the 18th November in Azadi Stadium. It seems that this is the only confirmed match that Team Melli will play until the start of the AFC Asian Cup 2015

Team Melli’s next camp site Johannesburg, witnesses a heinous crime.

Team Melli next training camp will be held in Johannesburg South Africa Again. The crime infested city has just witnessed the murder of a national hero , South African national football team Captain Senzo Meyiwa.

South Africans were stunned by the murder of Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain  Senzo Meyiwa, who was shot by intruders during a robbery at his girlfriend’s home. President Jacob Zuma led tributes to the 27-year-old goalkeeper, who was hit in the chest at the home of girlfriend Kelly Khumalo – a singer and celebrity – in a township near Johannesburg. Police offered a reward of 250,000 South African rand (£14,125) for information about the three suspects.

Senzo Meyiwa

South Africa is becoming the favorite destination for Carlos Queiroz training camps.

The future of the friendly match between South Africa and Iran is now in doubt after this incident. Team Melli is hoping to utilize the last FIFA day of 2014 for a friendly match against strong opposition.

So far , South Korea is the only real test for Team Melli preparing for the AFC Asian Cup 2015. Lack of preparation mainly due to the delay in signing a contract between Queiroz and FFIRI might turn out to be costly for Iran.

Carlos Queiroz is quite hopeful that the preparation is enough to face the three Arab teams in his group. The opposition, all of who have played numerous friendly games against strong opposition, will meet each other in the Gulf Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia in November.

Bahrain, Qatar and UAE will be fielding their strongest side in the prestigious Gulf Cup which will also be an ideal preparation for them for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup. Iran , meanwhile will be struggling as always to find a decent team to play against.

In the last Camp in South Africa , which Queiroz has described as an ideal location weather and condition wise to Australia (the same claim he mentioned with the weather in Brazil before the World Cup), Team Melli failed to arrange any international friendlies. It played against league clubs only. Only. South Africa national team is on the card , but with the latest developments, it might not be possible to play such a match.

 

Player’s impression on South African camp.  

Tehran

Team Melli returned to Iran on Friday after a 3 weeks training camp is South Africa cut short by 5 days. ISNA sought the impression of several Team Melli players on the condition of the camp and whether some of the talks about the unsuitability of the site was justified.

Jalal Hosseini , Team Melli and Persepolis defender expressed his views by starting with the climate in South Africa “It was ideal weather and the camp condition was quite comfortable. There was no environmental pollution as claimed by some reports in Tehran.”

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“When all the players arrived, we had a good camp and friendly atmosphere prevailed. With the work we have done, I think we are physically ready. We will have 5 or 6 days rest in Tehran then fly to Vienna to start the Austrian camp. I guess we will continue working on the physical side there.”

“The kit situation was not so good. We used a single track suite which was provided for us for 15 days, we had to wash them and wear it for the next session.”

Hossein Mahini , the right back of Persepolis and one of the main contenders of the final 23 players list , expressed his dissatisfaction with the Training Kit supplied by UHLSport and claimed that the kit shrunk after one week of use in South Africa!

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As for the training itself, Mahini said that this was a very compressed physical training like of which he has never experienced in Iran. “The tough training was carried out in two periods. in the morning and evening sessions every day. I think we have achieved what Queiroz is looking for.”

Asked if he is confident of making the final list to Brazil, Mahini said “not only it is his place that has many candidates , but all the rest of the places in Team Melli. Queiroz has many options. I just have to work hard to make it. That is all I can hope for”

Karim Ansdarifard , hopes that the effect of this training camp will be evident in Brazil.

“We had a good camp, but most of the work was basically physical training and conditioning, I hope that the work we have carried out here in South Africa, bears result in the World Cup”

“The weather was ideal but the training kit was not comfortable as the rest of the players already said”

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Asked if he can make the final 23 players list, Tractorsazi’s forward said “ It is very difficult. Every player is trying to show his worth. At the end whatever God wants, will happen”

Mohammad Reza Khalatbari , Persepolis winger more or less repeated what Ansarifard and Mahini said about the camp and the kit. He hoped that the result of their training in South Africa reflects well in Brazil.

Khalatbari said that he is still a Persepolis player but he was quite concerned by the unresolved issue of  the transfer fee with Ajman club , threatening his career and  fears a suspension by FIFA. “Persepolis has not fully paid Ajman yet for my transfer, despite the promises. This is worrying me”

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A close loss for Team Melli against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Johannesburg

Team Melli lost its third match in the South African camp 1-0 against Mamelodi Sundowns. The goal was scored on the half hour. Karim Ansarifard wasted a penalty kick in the match to Keep the South African league leader on top of the game.

Despite Queiroz men effort in the 2nd match , the players fired blanks and could not turn the match result around.

The match played on Tuesday and will be followed by a final practice match against another South African club , Mpumalanga Black Aces FC , which currently lies in 4th place in the table.

Queiroz has cancelled an international match against Mozambique which would have given the players some serious challenge in preparation for Nigeria. Queiroz has not offered any reason for this match cancellation despite his continual moaning about lack of teams available to play Team Melli. But when a Team is available and willing , Querioz cancels the match without offering any explanation.

Team Melli has played 3 match winning one, drawing the other and losing the third.