Team Melli defeated Gambia 3-1 in Antalya, Turkey, in a friendly international match held as part of their final training camp before the FIFA World Cup. Iran’s goals were scored by Arya Yousefi (47′), Ramin Rezaeian (59′), and Mehdi Taremi (68′).
It was a game of two contrasting halves. Team Melli were slow starters and found themselves a step behind a young, energetic Gambian side, most of whose players ply their trade as “legionnaires” in Europe. Iran struggled to cope with the agility of the Gambians, and it was only fitting that the African team took a 1-0 lead from a corner kick, following appalling defensive work. Gambian center-back and captain Omer Colley was given acres of space inside the six-yard box to finish comfortably past Beiranvand. The first half ended 1-0 to Gambia.
The hot weather was partly to blame for Iran’s lethargic first-half performance.
The second half saw several changes to Iran’s lineup. The introduction of Ramin Rezaeian revitalized the right flank. Two minutes into the half, Arya Yousefi finished nicely from a clever pass, slotting the ball to the left of the Gambian keeper. On the hour mark, Rezaeian sent a rocket from the edge of the 18-yard box into the Gambian goal from a rebound to make it 2-1.
Another clever move down the left saw Ali Alipour evade his marker and send the ball to Taremi, who turned sharply and shot toward the far right. The ball deflected into the net after hitting the post, making it 3-1.
In the last 15 minutes, Gambia bombarded Iran with wave after wave of attacks. The Iranians stood firm and prevented any serious threat to Beiranvand, though Gambia’s finishing left much to be desired. In the final ten minutes, Team Melli could have added at least two more goals while catching Gambia on the counterattack. Mehdi Torabi should have made it four, but his finishing was poor as he flicked the ball over the bar. The miss of the match, however, came from substitute Moghanlou, who found himself one-on-one with the Gambian goalkeeper with no defender near him. He calmly handed the ball straight into the keeper’s hands. Moghanlou, not for the first time, proved that he may lack the quality required for the World Cup.
Gambia turned out to be a good opponent for Team Melli at this stage. Despite their low ranking, they were fast, skillful, and organized. They lacked quality in the final ball and finishing, but their ability to dribble past Iranian markers was evident, something the Team Melli players notably lacked.
With two weeks to go until the World Cup, there is little that head coach Ghalenoei can do to change the team’s fundamental issues. The same old shortcomings- lack of quality in the center of the field and some awful defending—are problems Iran will have to live with when the competition starts. What Ghalenoei needs to focus on now is emotional intelligence and building team spirit. Players like Shoja Khalilzadeh, who is always one step closer to a red card, and others must be much more composed at the World Cup, where the competition will be ten times tougher and more skillful. Controlling temper and tempo remains vital for Iran, despite the lack of quality on several fronts.
Iran lineup: Alireza Beiranvand, Mohammad Hossein Kananizadegan, Ali Nemati, Aria Yousefi ( Mehdi Torabi), Ehsan Hajsafi (Shoja Khalilzadeh), Saeed Ezzatollahi (Mohammad Ghorbani), Amir Mohammad Razaghinia (Ramin Rezaian), Mohammad Mohebi (Amir Hossein Mahmoudi), Amir Hossein Hosseinzadeh (Shahryar Moghanlou), Mehdi Taremi (Omid Noorafkan) and Kasra Taheri (Ali Alipour).
Gambia lineup: Babokar Gayeh, Omar Kouli, Seini Sanyang, Yaya Bojang, Tijan Sonha, Mahmoud Bajo, Mohammad Drama, Abrima Adams, Abrima Kouli, Adama Sidibe (Adama Bojang) and Saliu Drama (Karamba Gassama).