Team Melli will be meeting the former African Champions Algeria Sunday evening in its only preparatory international friendly, in Doha Qatar.
Although Team Melli and all other national team age groups for this matter have historically been one of the weakest teams in terms of preparation and readiness, in FIFA World Cup and other tournaments such as AFC Asian Cup, this time, it must be the worst in its history and puts Iran football reputation to shame.
After what looked like a cesarean operation, the Algeria match was finally confirmed, following a series of cancellations against Canada, Uruguay, New Zealand, South Africa, and Oman.
The match against Algeria this evening is quite a good test despite the African team missing their star player and Manchester City winger Riyadh Mehrez. The coach Djamel Belmadhi, a familiar character against Iranian teams, is under great scrutiny for failing to lead his team to qualify for the World Cup 2022.
Djamel Belmadi is determined to revive the mighty Algerian team and has announced before that he will not leave his post with the national team and instead will remain in charge of their qualifying campaign for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will be held in Ivory Coast.
Belmadi had come under mounting criticism following a disastrous defense of their 2019 AFCON title.
At the 2021 edition of the tournament in Cameroon earlier this year, Algeria finished bottom of Group E having taken just one point from three matches.
‘The Desert Warriors’ also failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after they lost to Cameroon on away goals in their play-off tie.
Belmadhi urged players who wanted to join the team to come up with a fighting spirit as former Algerians did years ago.
Djamel Belmadi showed himself determined to end this second Greens training camp in Doha in the best possible way, “we were keen to play a third match during this international window.
The game against Iran is a good opportunity to gauge our team. he said at the microphone of the FAF. Coach Belmadi revealed the direct line that the Algerian team will follow for the friendly against Iran, “we will approach this match in the most rigorous way. We will not ignore the culture of winning, if only for a friendly match. he adds.
Aware of the work that awaits his men for his second term at the head of the Algerian selection, the 2019 African champion kept the pressure on his players away, “it is a team in reconstruction. We are going to face a selection that has its automatisms in place, while we are working to find them. It’s a great test for the Algerian team. he explains.
As far as Skocic is concerned, this match remains the only confirmed opportunity for him to watch his player play against a strong opponent. Of course, it is far from adequate preparation and this could be an excuse too for failing in the finals. Skocic remains culpable for this failure to prepare the team for the greatest tournament in the world.
It is hardly unlikely that Skocic will touch the lineup as he will use this match to check on his main players. The many new faces will only play second string while Algeria is re-building.