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Azizi Khadem warning on the defining moments for Iran's football.

Shehab Azizi Khadem, the head of FFIRI, discussed the dilemma of the statute of the football federation and the deadline of FIFA for the approval of the new law by the government and the parliament:

"The most important issue that I should mention is the charter of this federation. We have a very big challenge ahead. I hope some people do not complicate this issue for no logical reasons. Approval of the amended statute has been granted by the previous government. The esteemed government of the time, the General Assembly of the Football Federation, and FIFA have all approved it and now the final process is seeking the approval of Majlis (parliament). FIFA will demand the endorsement by March 1st, 2022. The exchanges we had with Infantino in Qatar, confirm that FIFA is determined that this amendment must be approved and put in motion and they have set a deadline that we have to answer to by March 1st. I hope that the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) will be able to appease the nation with tact and rationality. “

Azizi Khadem added: "If the Iranian national team qualifies for the World Cup as it rightly deserves and expected, it coincides with the FIFA deadline. In February, Infantino will come to Tehran, which will coincide with the qualification of Team Melli. In these difficult circumstances, we hope to have harmony and not to complicate the issues further.”

The president of the federation said: "Now that the amended statute has been approved by three regulators, General Assembly of Football Federation, FIFA and the government of Iran, we expect that Iranian football will not go into turmoil in the fourth and last step of the process.”

" I need to declare this important and crucial issue to ensure that everyone is aware of the facts and progress of a matter which is critical for the nation and its football.”

Azizi Khadem thus made it clear that the onus is on the Majlis to approve the new FFIRI Constitution which is in line with the FIFA recommendation and guidelines. The highlight of the amendment is for the independent operation of the Football Federation and the non-interference of the government into its affairs and decision-making process.

Referring to Wilmot’s claim for compensation and damge case in the CAS court, the Head of FFIRI said: "The progress of Wilmot’s case, is that a hearing will be held next week by the legal team. Next Tuesday is a meeting with Wilmot’s legal team. I hope we will be able to reduce the amount of compensation demanded and the final vote will be issued in January.”

Tayyebi's super goal for Benfica.

Futsal Team Melli player, Hossein Tayyebi scored a goal a stir in the sport's media this week.

Benfica’s Futsal team defeated Hungarian side Haladás 8-3 in the Futsal Champions League on Wednesday. The real talk of the town is the incredible goal scored by Benfica’s Hossein Tayyebi. The Iranian pulled out some exquisite trickery to score Benfica’s third goal. Check out this Tayyebi goal.

Read some of the reactions to Tayyebi's magic goal.

"I don’t know if this trick has been done in the history of the sport. From this moment forward I will call it the Iranian Top-Tier Cranium. Tayyebi can change the name if he so chooses."

"The 33-year-old has a litany of futsal awards in his career, including a third-place finish with Iran at the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup. This fancy trick of his with Benfica might just be his finest."

"If there’s a cheesy “Tricks and Skills” video of a player with some awful non-copyright music playing in the background, then that player has made it. The good news for Tayyebi is that he qualifies for this"

An incredible definition was scored by Benfica in the futsal Champions League.
One of the most spectacular goals could be seen in the futsal Champions League and it was courtesy of Benfica’s player, Hossein Tayebi, who got a point thanks to a display of incredible skill in a definition that was difficult to see again and added to the little angle he had. The Iranian received the ball close to the baseline and had his back to the goal, so he decided to solve in a spectacular way by turning around controlling his right leg and having a small space, he fired with his left to send it to the back of the net. On the court, everyone was amazed at the incredible resource that the Asian brought up with his resolution. The rivals were obviously impressed and incredulous as his teammates ran to congratulate him on the impressive technical gesture that served to mark the temporary 3-1.

Memorandum of collaboration signed between Iran and Qatar

Iran and Qatar have signed a four-year football Memorandum of collaboration commencing before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The presidents of FFIRI Shehab Azizi Khadem and Sheikh Hamad bin Ahmed Al Thani, President of the Qatar Football Association, attended the signing ceremony earlier today (Thursday) in Doha.  According to the memorandum, the two federations will collaborate in holding friendly matches, exchange of training facilities as well as training camps at all levels of different age categories of their respective national football teams, including men and women. The long-term collaboration between the two sides, which will soon be implemented in various fields, is important due to the good relations between the two countries, ease of logistics and transportation, proximity, and cultural commonalities of the two countries.

With Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup, its state-of-the-art facilities and modern infrastructure will be available to National Iranian football teams in Qatar. In this meeting, Hamidreza Mehr Ali (acting vice president of the FFIRI), Rafiei (legal advisor to the president of FFIRI) and Dragan Skocic (head coach of the national team) accompanied Azizi Khadem. Also present at the meeting was FIFA'S Deputy Secretary-General Football, Mattias Grafström.   Last night on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the FIFA Arab Cup, Azizi Khadem had a meeting with Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, who is scheduled to travel to Iran in February 2022.

Azizi Khadem has traveled to Qatar at the official invitation of the President of the Qatar Football Federation. Qatar will host the Qatar FIFA World Cup in November 2022, and the Iranian national team is just one step away from qualifying for the tournament. With this contract, it can be hoped that the national team will take advantage of Qatar's sports facilities to hold camps and friendly matches within a year of the tournament.

Fenerbahce recalling Sayydmanesh.

A Turkish newspaper attributed Fenerbahce's decision to bring back Team Melli striker Allahyar Sayyadmanesh on the poor performance of the team's two new strikers and stressed that expectations were high on Sayadmanesh.

 Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, who is under contract with Fenerbahce, was loaned to the Ukraine club, Zorya Luhansk on loan in 2020 and had a vital impact on his team performance. Sayyadmanesh's loan term with Zorya expires in another month, and Fenerbahce intends to bring the player back and utilize him in the team lineup. In a report, the Turkish newspaper fotomac reviewed Fenerbahce's decision to recall Allahyar, citing the poor performance of Fenerbahçe's new strikers. The newspaper wrote: "Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, the Iranian striker of Fenerbahce football team, will return to Fenerbahce in January transfer window. The young striker will return to the yellow and dark blue team due to the fact that Zorya Ukraine is not able to pay 3.5 million euros for the permanent acquisition of Allahyar. What will Allahyar Sayyadmanesh do if he returns to Fenerbahce? "What is the difference between Fenerbahce's current strikers, Sardar Durson , the Ecuadorian Enner Valencia, and German Mergim Brisha "?

Allahyar Sayyadmanesh battling against Bayern Munich Thomas Mueller

"At the beginning of the season, Fenerbahce strengthened their attack with Sardar Durson and Brisha and decided to use Ener Valencia in the current area," he said. "Valencia played left and right at Fenerbahce last season, but the Ecuadorian star's performance on the offensive line was also acceptable. Fenerbahce had high expectations of Durson and Brisha, but things did not go as expected. "Fenerbahce officials then suggested to Vitor Pereira (head coach) that he also evaluate Allahyar Sayadmanesh in search of a new striker in the mid-season transfers."

Fenerbahce who are lying fifth in the table, have Former Arenal and German National Team midfielders Mesut Ozil on their roster.

Players Rating : Syria vs. Iran

Team Melii players ended the match against Syria as clear winners. In arguably the best performances of the qualifiers, every player played his part well. Discipline, which marred the Team Melli performance on many previous matches, was excellent. No player was given a yellow card. The absence of two key players in Jahanbakhsh, Taremi and Dragan Skoci on the bench, hardly dented the team display. This is evidence of a big team with a strong bench, with available players capable to replace any of their teammates no matter how important they have been. It proves that Team Melli reached a maturity that the absence of one or two key players hardly matters. The individuals rating are as follows: Amir ABEDZADEH:  [8.0] Was not really tested but when he was required to act, he did with confidence and control. His ball distribution and aerial balls collection was immaculate. Shojaa KHALILZADEH  [7.8] As always, dependable and solid in defense forming a steadfast partnership and understanding with Kananizadeghan. Unlucky at set-pieces despite the large numbers of corners won by Team Melli.    Sadegh MOHARRAMI:    [7.8] Effective as a wing-back despite the fact that he was less involved on the flanks from the previous match. Remains a valuable asset at right back. Hossein KANANI-ZADEGAN:   [7.8] Enjoyed an easy day and had no issues defending against the lone Syrian striker. His performance with Khalizadeh in the heart of defense helped Team Melli keep a clean sheet. Ehsan HAJSAFI:  [8.3] Despite his absence from Team Melli in a few matches, he never lost his touch. Positive and reliable. Scored the Penalty with cool despite the Syrian goalkeeper intimidations. Vahid AMIRI  [9.0] One of the best performances seen by the winger for many years. Played a decisive role in this game. Full of energy and class Kept the ball moving to build attacks and enjoyed many forays forward down the left side. Provided a world-class assist to Azmoun. Provided many crosses which showed his quality of delivery. Created more chances than any of his teammates in another good demonstration of his quality and versatility. Ahmad NOUROLLAHI  : [8.8] Another sterling performance. Unlucky not to be on the scoresheet after three very well taken shots on goal, which saw two being magnificently saved by the Syria keeper. Saeid EZZATOLLAHI   [7.6] Dependable and solid in the midfield. Won many balls back swiftly for his side on the rare occasions they didn't have it and showed his passing precision too. Omid NOORAFKAN: [7.8] Had a quiet game although there were some signs of nervousness, especially when he losses the ball. Could be reckless at times. Ali GHOLIZADEH : [8.9] Scored a magnificent goal that showed his wizardry. He was a constant menace for the Syrian defense. His timely use of his dribbling skills can break solid defenses. Had an excellent game.  Sardar AZMOUN:  [8.9] Scored a wonderful goal that shows his class and how far he has improved in Europe. He remains one of the best assets of Team Melli. However, he could have scored a hat trick but for missing two easy chances.  SUBSTITUTES: Milad SARLAK : [7.8] Replaced Hajsafi and had a quiet match without exerting too much effort. A solid player and a valuable one to support both the defense and midfield. Allahyar SAYYADMANESH , Mehdi GHAEDI &  Karim ANSARIFARD   NOT RATED

Skocic serves his sentence , but what about the cheaters?

Dragan Skocic, the head coach of Team Melli, got super excited after some tense moments during the match with the Lebanese national team. When Sardar Azmoun scored the equalizer, the Croat who was feeling immense pressure with his team a goal behind in the dying minutes of the match, jumped with joy running towards the Lebanese bench,  demonstrating his excitement while pointing towards the stretcher that the Lebanese players used umpteen times in the match.

The Qatari referee brandished the red card to Skocic and sent him to the stands.

The FIFA disciplinary committee issued its verdict and suspended Skocic for one match which he served against Syria. In addition, Skocic was ordered to pay 5,000 Swiss francs, which must be paid within 30 days of the date of notification.

Skocic will be able to lead Team Melli from the bench in the match against Iraq in January 2022.

While Skocic had no business encroaching into the opposing team's area to demonstrate his anger at the host team that was not playing football like gentlemen and professionals, faking injuries, cheating, and simulating in a farce and obvious manner, the Qatari referee was an accessory, aiding and abated in this farcical act of deception. The fault ultimately falls on the world's governing body to stop such ridiculous behavior in football. History reminds us that FIFA can and has acted before to stop such acts of anti-football. Cast your mind back to the game between Ireland and Egypt in  FIFA World Cup 1990.

The worst match at the most boring World Cup in history prompted football's rule-makers to abolish the backpass, changing the game forever

Because of the Egyptian blatant time-wasting and killing of the game, it banned the passing of the ball to goalkeepers.

FIFA needs to act again. It is their full responsibility to act against teams like Lebanon and many others who use time-wasting by faking players' injuries who drop dead with every tackle. There is no excuse for FIFA inaction. Anyone who has a passion for the beautiful game of football, must take a stand against such acts and make their voice heard against cheating.  While VAR and technology are being extensively used, it is about time that this type of technology or alternatives is also used to punish players who cheat. In this part of the world, there are aplenty.

Group A: IR Iran tighten grip with victory over Syria

the-afc.com    - 16.Nov.2021

Amman: A dominant display from the Islamic Republic of Iran at the King Abdullah II Stadium saw them cruise past Syria 3-0 on Matchday Six of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar on Tuesday. Team Melli went into the game off the back of a five-match unbeaten run, and they cemented their place at the top of Group A with a fifth win in their last six, moving up to 16 points, while Syria was rooted to the foot of the group without a win and remained there after the game.

A touch away from creating a goalscoring opportunity, Syria watched on as Omar Al Soma’s attempted through pass at the edge of the opponent’s box was intercepted and turned into the quickest of counterattacks with Vahid Amiri supplying an exquisite overhead pass for Sardar Azmoun, who broke through between the Syrian center-backs and kept his composure to slot home the opener for IR Iran in the 33rd minute.

Both Amiri and Al Soma were involved in the build-up to another attempt nine minutes later. This time the Iranian winger attempted a cross on from the left with Syria’s number 9 blocking his path and Al Soma’s misfortune continued as he was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box, leading to the visitors being awarded a penalty that Ehsan Hajsafi (pictured below) duly converted to make it 2-0.

A quick Syrian response saw the Qasioun Eagles come within millimeters of instantly halving the deficit as Mahmoud Al Mawas showed nifty feet to trick two Iranian defenders and rifle from just outside the box, but he watched in agony as his effort beat goalkeeper Amir Abedzadeh only to cannon off the underside of the crossbar and out.

Ahmad Nourollahi nearly found the back of the net for the second game in a row as he attempted his luck in back-to-back shots just after the 70th minute, but the Shabab Al Ahli midfielder was denied on both occasions by the fingertips of Syrian goalkeeper Khalid Al Haji who made flying saves.

Gholizadeh went from provider to scorer, doing so in style with his last touch of the ball before being replaced by Mehdi Ghayedi in the final minute of the match.

The RSC Charleroi winger beat the offside trap and went on to waltz his way past three Syrian defenders before calmly placing the ball into the bottom corner to confirm the Iranian victory with a third goal.

Iran continues their campaign at home against Iraq at the end of January while Syria’s chase of a first win sees them traveling to third-placed United Arab Emirates next.

A comfortable win for Iran keeps them at top of the table.

Team Melli defeated Syria 3 -0 in Amman in the first match of Group A’s return legs of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers. The goals were scored by Saradar Azmoun (33’),  Ehsan Hajsafi (42’)(P), and Ali Gholizadeh (89’).

With this win Iran consolidates its position at the top of the table with 16 points, opening a 10 points gap with the team in the third position UAE. Korea Rep. beat Iraq 3-0 in Doha to remain second with 14 points.

This match saw a much-improved performance from the Lebanon game 5 days ago. The changes that Skocic had to make on the lineup were sensible and effective. Beiranvand was given an off day in goal, while his deputy Abedzadeh was a very competent replacement despite not being really tested. His Aerial ball control was immaculate, but his ball distribution was quite impressive.

The midfield was more effective and distributed the ball efficiently feeding Azmoun and the flanks.  In defense, the introduction of Omid Nourafakan was satisfactory, while Sadegh Moharrami had a sterling performance.

Ahmad Nourallahi was one of Iran’s best players and it is pity that he was not on the scoresheet after several fine shoots especially near the ends of the match which the Syrian keeper remarkably saved.

Azmoun scored the opener with a marvelous assist from Vahid Amiri. Azmoun immaculate ball control, his escape from two Syrian markers, and the finishing touch was world-class.   Azmoun however, could have easily ended this match with a hat trick missing two golden opportunities in the second half.

Hajsafi made a start after some time with Team Melli, however, he has not lost any of his quality and scored well from the penalty.

The third goal by Gholizadeh was Messi-like. The Chareloi midfielder received the ball on the left and bamboozled four Syrian players before slotting the ball into the net. It was a great goal and one for the purists.

This was one of the matches that Team Melli won in performance and result. Players were disciplined and hardly made mistakes of judgment. It also helped that the Syrians came to play football and that made the match competitive and entertaining. However, the difference in class was evident from the start.

Although there were many candidates for MVP including Azmoun, Nourollahi, GHolizadeh, and Moharrami, The star of the match was Vahid Amiri. Not only did he provide a classy assist to Azmoun, his energy, runs on the flank, control of the ball, passing accuracy, and general attitude in the game were exemplary.

Starting line announced for Team Melli vs Syria

The starting lineup for the match against Syria in Amman, Jordan has been announced. As expected, Alireza Beiranvand, Team Melli goalkeeper has lost his place after his poor performance against Lebanon and Amir Abedzadeh will take his place. Omid Nourafkan and Ehsan Hajsafi are the other two changes for Iran. Ghoddos will remain on the bench. With Jahanbaksh being suspended, Skocic has opted to play Sardar Azmoun as the lone forward with a 4-5-1 lineup.   SYRIA
23 Khalid Alhaji
5 Omar Al Midani
6 Amro Jenyat
15 Khaled Kerdagli
19 Moayad Al Khouli
10 Mahmoud Al Mawas
13 Thaer Krouma
14 Ahmad Ashkar
17 Fahd Youssef
18 Mohammad Anz
9 Omar Al Somah
Coach: Nizar Mahrous
IRAN
22 A. Abedzadeh
4 S. Khalilzadeh
13 H. Kanani
2 S. Moharrami
3 E. Hajsafi
8 A. Nourollahi
6 S. Ezatolahi
17 A. Gholizadeh
7 O. Noorafkan
20 S. Azmoun
11 V. Amiri
Coach: D. Skočić

Clash of Top and Bottom in Amman

Group A leaders Iran will aim to cement their position in the summer when they take on bottom-placed side Syria at King Abdullah II on Matchday Six of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar on Tuesday.
the-afc.com
Having been so evenly matched in the 2018 qualifiers, drawing both their games, the two sides have had contrasting fortunes this time around.
Syria replaced Tunisian coach Nabil Maaloul with local tactician Nizar Mahrous following the conclusion of the second round of the qualifiers and have since not won a single competitive match, drawing two and losing three including a 1-0 opening day reversal against their upcoming opponents. As a result, the Qasioun Eagles find themselves rooted to the bottom of their group - a far cry from four years earlier when they finished third and advanced to the playoff round.
Croatian Dragan Skokic, meanwhile, led Team Melli to the top of their second round group after taking charge in February with the Iranians having won four of their five third round matches,  only dropping points to Korea Republic in a 1-1 home draw last month.

THE Match 

Tuesday 16 November 2021 16:00  Venue:King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman Kick-off:  18:00 hours (UTC+2)
The two sides have a rich history of meeting in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with their first encounter dating back to 1973 when they exchanged 1-0 wins in the West Germany 1974 qualifiers. They have since met in qualifiers to 1978, 1994, 1998, 2010 and 2018, but Syria’s win in 1973 remains their only victory over the Iranians in the qualifiers, with the other 12 encounters ending in six Iranian wins and as many draws.
In the reverse fixture on the opening matchday, Syria defended resolutely but a second-half strike from Alireza Jahanbakhsh secured a home win at Azadi Stadium. The Feyenoord Rotterdam striker has since added two more goals to top the scorers' charts at this stage of the qualifiers. Meanwhile, Syria’s leading scorers Omar Al Soma and Omar Kharbin have two goals each, combining for 80 percent of their side’s goals in Group A.
ASIAN QUALIFIERS
Both sides saw late goals in their most recent outing on Thursday, for the Iranians it was two from Sardar Azmoun and Ahmad Nourollahi that secured a hard fought 2-1 victory against Lebanon, while for Syria the goal came in their net, with Amir Al Ammari equalising for Iraq with four minutes to go to cancel out Al Soma’s opener five minutes earlier.
Syria v Islamic Republic of Iran Venue: King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman
*Poll ends at 23:00 hours (UTC+8) on November 16.

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