Marc Wilmots has called upon 23 Persian Gulf League players for a five-day training camp commencing on Wednesday.

According to the federation website, this camp will coincide with Omid Team Camp headed by Farhad Majidi, will be held behind closed doors at Azadi Stadium.

The new squad list does not resemble anything like a Team Melli team and, although there are a few familiar names that have periodically been picked as bench players, the majority are unknown players that have been singled out as potential good prospects for Team Melli. The interesting point is the age group that Wilmots and other selectors have picked and that is around the 22-24 years old.

The odd one out is the ex-Sepahan player Mehrdad Mohammadi who is now playing for the Portuguese club, Aves player. The 25 years old, is the twin brother of Milad Mohammadi, the left back of Team Melli.

 

The objective of this squad is for Wilmots to mostly recognize domestic players. The next team major commitment is in September where the official matches are played and the squad of Team Melli might need enhancements.

However, given the names that made the list, some of whom were playing in the lower league last season, the question arises as to who Welmots has counseled in his team or elsewhere and what cognition does he have of any of these players?  A question that poses a lot of attention especially as the transfer season has started and being in the Team Melli squad will definitely increase the players’ value.

 

As an example, in the new list of Team Melli, Mohammad Mohebbi and Peyman Ranjbari were playing in League One last season, or in the case of Saeed Wasei who plays for Peykan, his statistics of three goals scored and one assist last season, while in the same Team Peykan, Isa Al Katheer has scored eight goals and had two assists but has not been invited to Team Melli. Perhaps the five-year age difference between the two players was a point considered in the selection, but Wasei’s statistics are not eye-catching, to say the least at his age (24 years), It can’t be considered a phenomenon. In any case, Wilmot’s move to give players who may have a chance of being part of the Squad is a positive move, but it was better if such selection was done on a more positive footing and clear of any bias and favoritism.

Question marks will linger about many names and even more about those who are absent.

The names of the players and teams that are present are as follows:

Goalkeepers:

Mohammad Rashid Mazaheri (29): Tractor

Mehdi Amini (23): Peykan

Ahmed Gohari (23): Saipa

Defenders:

Mohammad Ansari (27): Persepolis

Mohammad Hussein Moradmand (age 26): Padideh

Siavash Yazdani (27): Esteghlal

Iman Saleemi (23): Tractorsazi

Daniel Esmaeilifar (26): Zob Ahan

Mehdi Shiri (28): Persepolis

Mohammad Naderi (22 ): Persepolis

Saeed Aghaei (24 ): Sepahan

Midfielders:

Ali Karimi (25): No club

Ahmad Abdullah Zadeh (26): Foolad Khuzestan

Amir Hossein Karimi (23): Peykan

Reza Asadi (23): No club

Mehrdad Mohammadi (25): Aves

Mohammad Mohebbi (21): Sepahan.

Muhammad Karimi (23): Sepahan

Saeed Wasei (24): Peykan

Arash Rezavand (25): Esteghlal

Majid Alayari (24): Saipa

Forwards

Shahriar Moghanloo (24): Peykan

Peyman Ranjbari (26): Golghar