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Futsal: Classy IR Iran cruise into quarter-finals

The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022™, continued this Friday evening with Team Melli Futsal Playing Chinese Taipei in Saad Al Abdullah Hall, Kuwait.

With the biggest win of the championship so far, Iran confirmed their place in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Kuwait 2022 knockout stage after cruising 10-1

Iran, who defeated Indonesia 5-0 in their opener, burst into action from the first blow of the whistle with Hossein Tayebibidgoli and Mohammadhossein Bazyar just missing the target from above the area.
SAEED AHMAD-ABBAS
Alireza Rafiei Pour forced Fu Li-wei into a diving save in the second minute before the Chinese Taipei keeper conceded moments later with Bazyar finding the back of the net off Moslem Oladghobad’s layoff.
Iran were just getting started with Tayebibidgoli etching his name on the scoresheet in the third minute, finishing off Oladghobad’s assist.
Chinese Taipei had a rare chance a minute later with captain Chi Sheng-fa bursting down the left flank, but his effort to get a cross into the danger area was foiled by Mahdi Karimi.
Chinese Taipei were no match for Iran’s brilliance as the Central Asian side scored their third goal after Salar Aghapour found an unmarked Saeid Ahmad Abbasi (pictured above), who finished with ease from close range.
Tayebibidgoli picked up his second goal of the evening in the 16th minute, scoring a volley off Oladghobad’s kick-in, before Ahmad Abbasi put Iran 5-0 up a minute later.
Chinese Taipei tried to mount a fightback but paid dearly as Iran caught them off a counter-attack with Ahmad Abbasi completing his hat-trick two minutes from the half-time whistle.
Iran grabbed their seventh goal two minutes into the restart with Tayebibidgoli threatening from the left flank before the two-time AFC Futsal Asian Cup Top Scorer sent an inviting lob for Aghapour to finish.
Chinese Taipei tried to push  forward again but their efforts were cut short with Alireza Javan Shahkhali collecting the loose ball before squeezing a shot past Fu Li-wei in the 28th minute.
However, Chinese Taipei’s determination was finally rewarded when they found an opening in the 31st minute with He Chia-chen scoring from inside the box, finishing off Chi Sheng-fa’s pass.
There was no letting up from Iran as they continued to pressure their opponents with Karimi finding the net in the 35th minute before Ahmad Abbasi scored his side’s 10th goal a minute later.
Iran plays Lebanon next, while Chinese Taipei faces a must-win tie against Indonesia on Sunday.

Gaps in Team Melli, Queiroz in battle with time to rectify.

After two quite useful matches for Team Melli, Carlos Queiroz has realized the magnitude of his mission in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in order to qualify Iran for the next round for the first time in history. Team Melli's results against Uruguay and Senegal were excellent but that cannot be said about the performance. In fact, Iran was lucky that the Sengalese players forgot their shooting boots at the hotel. The African Champions players easily bypassed Iran's midfield and tested the defensive line, however, their final balls were mostly wayward. The ease with which the Senegal players passed the Iranians would definitely worry Queiroz's team in the World Cup. The gaps specifically at the midfield despite fielding four defensive players were apparent. It took some heroics from Hosseini in the goal, Kanani and Majid Hosseini in the center plus Sadegh Moharrami to minimize the damage. Ehsan Hajsafi, on the other hand, is a serious liability as a left-back despite him providing an excellent assist for Sardar Azmoun. Of course, Iran must also thank the Senegalese players who kept aiming at the sky in their final balls. The onus is on Queiroz to get his ideal formation in the defense and midfield, but as we all know he is battling against time and no more opportunity for training or friendly matches. What we saw in Austria is probably the formation in which Queiroz will line up the team. All the work that the head coach needs to conduct for the improvement and tightening of the team will be on paper. Observations of the domestic league players and the legionnaires should also help, except that most of Team Melli players are bench warmers in their European clubs. Team Melli's strongest line is the forward line, where Queiroz need not worry much, but with names like Azmoun and Taremi up front, they need to be fed with proper balls to finish them in the back of the net. In both the matches in the Austrian camp, the service was sub-standard and rare. Kudos to the two forwards for turning those chances into goals. Without a good defensive structure, Iran will struggle in the World Cup as players like Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Gareth Bale, and Christian Pulisic can take advantage of these defensive gaps to hurt Iran. In any case, it is the Queiroz style to press and defend tightly while depending on quick counterattacks for scoring.  

PLAYERS RATINGS:

Seyed Hossein HOSSEINI: One of the best players on the field with his good saves and confident handling of the ball [8.5]  Majid HOSSEINI: started well and created a good partnership with Kanani. He has his shortcoming though and could be passed at ease at times. [6.7] Hossein KANANI-ZADEGAN: Majestic performance from a solid defender who hardly put a foot wrong and was quite confident against Saido mane. He only played one half but it was easy to convince Queiroz that he is becoming an indispensable player in the team [8.8] Sadegh MOHARRAMI: Yet another good performance from Moharerami to solidify his claim for the right-back position. Under Queiroz's game plan, he can be the winger that can be effective in quick counterattacks. [8.3] Saeid EZZATOLLAHI: Lack of top-level football is adversely affecting him and it was obvious that at big games he is found wanting. His physique is quite important for the team but really needs to work on passing skills and game reading [6.5] Ahmad NOUROLLAHI: At times he was lost among the better opposition players. He tried matching the Senegalese midfield but lacked the capability to win balls or provide effective passes for the forwards [6.7] Milad SARLAK:  Industrious and hardworking player whose role in Queiroz's game plan is to form a defensive line in front of the central defenders. Mixed success but a player who can be also used in defense too. [6.9] Ali GHOLIZADEH: The player has good dribbling skills and can be vital for the rare offensive moves in Team Melli. However, his final balls and passes leave a lot to be desired. Still has not reached his potential and his small physique could be a liability against big teams. [6.7] Ehsan HAJSAFI: Operated as a left back and he was a liability. Easily dribbled , poor positional awareness and poor coverage marred his performance. His assist, however, plus a goal-line clearance gives him more rating than he may not deserve. [7.2] Mehdi TAREMI: Did not get proper service and hence he was ineffective. Still tries to fake and falls proving that his ill-repute in Portugal is not unwarranted. Another player that can be a savior for Team Melli despite all the controversy around him. His lack of pace is worrying though [6.9] Karim ANSARIFARD: A player who seems content with turning up it seems. Not effective in this match and was disconnected from his teammate Taremi up front [6.2] Substitution: Morteza POURALIGANJI: Unfortunate to concede the goal but overall he was a solid player and tackled well. [7.0] Saman GHODDOS: At his best Ghoddos can be a real asset for Team Melli with his passes and vision. He was not given breathing space by the Senegalese players and that is where many Iranian players fail against hard-pressing teams. [6.8] Omid EBRAHIMI: A hard-working midfielder who is tireless and fighting for every ball. He was overwhelmed in this match and was hardly in the game. [6.5] Alireza JAHANBAKHSH: vitalized the team on his appearance as a sub. At times he was double-teamed and the Senegalese defenders knew how to curtail his threat. [7.2] Sardar AZMOUN: A quality forward needs half a chance to score and that is what Azmoun did when he provided a quality cross. His jump for the Hajsafy's perfect cross was majestic. [8.9]    

Iran's request for hosting Olympics qualifiers turned down.

The Asian Football Confederation AFC announced on Friday that the final stage of the AFC U23 Championship which is also the 2024 Paris Olympic football qualifiers, will be hosted by Qatar. \

The decision was taken by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competition Committee in its fifth meeting held today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In this way, Qatar, which will host the FIFA World Cup 2022 in November, will then host the Asian U23 Competition. In addition to Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan also applied to host the tournament, but these requests were rejected in favor of Qatar. Iran's Omid football team is currently non-existent. After the departure of Mehdi Mahdavikia, the situation of the head coach of this team is uncertain. With Mehdi Taj taking office in the football federation, Mahdavikia left and as yet there is no news about the team's status or its coach.

While all the other teams are in training, Iran's Omid team ( Hope team) is hopeless and technically speaking, is disbanded. The Iranian Olympic Committee has once again that this team will qualify for the Paris Olympic Games, a claim that has been regularly heard for the last 44 years.

GARETH SOUTHGATE has travelled to Vienna to watch Iran play Senegal.

  The England manager is busy preparing for the Qatar World Cup after the Three Lions' Nations League campaign concluded with a 3-3 draw against Germany.
And with England set to take on Iran in their opening World Cup fixture, Southgate is doing his homework in person. He was joined by his assistant manager Steve Holland at the behind closed doors match. Southgate, 52, was likely casting an eye over Iran's dangermen to work out how to nullify Carlos Queiroz's side. The England boss looked in good spirits despite mounting pressure on his team and took time to pose for photos with fans ahead of kick-off. Despite a run of six matches without a win Southgate has belief in his squad and is re-assured by the leadership qualities some players have shown in recent days. He said after the Germany match: “Some of the more senior players have been outstanding. “They asked for a meeting on their own to talk things through. For me, that was such a positive sign. The best football teams have a real core of players that drive things. “To have the right sort of messages filtering through to the group to keep people on track is crucial. We need to stay calm. “We have been through times like this before but they are all learning together. The message is we must stick to what we do. “You will have pressure in a World Cup. It may be in a group game or in a quarter-final. It is better we feel it and learn how to feel about it. England are joined by Iran, Wales, and the USA in the Group. Iran and England have never met at the international level. There was no word from Southgate after the end of the match.

Iran futsal starts the defense of the title with a win.

the-afc.com
Kuwait City: Defending champions Iran showed they mean business with a 5-0 win over Indonesia in Group C of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Kuwait 2022 on Wednesday.
Twelve-time champions Iran cruised to a three-goal lead at half-time, leaving Indonesia with no chance of mounting a comeback.
Iran, playing with a cast missing most of the big names from their previous campaigns, started brightly and their aggression almost resulted in the opening goal when Mohammadhossein Derakhshani teed up Saeid Ahmad Abbasi, who flashed his effort above the bar.
Pegged in their own half, Indonesia were lucky to escape again in the second minute when Salar Aghapour displayed neat footwork before trying from distance but keeper Muhamad Nazil Purnama was up to the challenge.
Iran finally found the opening goal a minute later from a set-piece situation with Derakhshani setting up Ahmad Abbasi, who struck the ball home from just after the halfway line. The goal rattled the Indonesians and another lapse in concentration moments later allowed Ahmad Abbasi to waltz into the area before cutting back for Moslem Oladghobad to score from above the arc.
Indonesia, despite being limited to counter-attacks, gave Iran a scare in the fifth minute when Samuel Eko pushed forward to set up Mochammad Iqbal Rahmattulah, whose attempt from an acute angle just failed to find the target. That, however, boosted Indonesia but Iran goalkeeper Saeid Momeni denied Eko’s shot from close range moments later and Reza Gunawan’s follow-up from above the arc.
Iran continued to dictate the tempo and scored their third goal in the 10th minute following Mahdi Asadshir’s delightful curling effort, with the player striking the ball from the left flank with Muhamad Nazil rooted on the line.
Indonesia enjoyed a good start in the second half with the Southeast Asian side dictating the pace of the game, however, their urgency left them open in defense as Iran struck their fourth in the 23rd minute following Abassi’s fine effort.
Two minutes later, it was Hossein Tayebibidgoli’s turn to get on the scoresheet with the two-time AFC Futsal Asian Cup Top Scorer blasting his effort from above the area into the net following Oladghobad’s through pass.
Muhamad Nazil then denied Tayebi his second goal from the penalty spot in the 28th minute but it was a case of job done for Iran, who will play Chinese Taipei next while Indonesia will be hoping to collect three points when they face Lebanon on Friday.

Is Team Melli’s unity under threat?

Across Iran, women are leading the charge in massive protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Morality police, who enforce the use of hijabs in public, arrested the Kurdish native 22-year-old in Tehran on September 16, 2022. Not long after she was taken into custody, she was dead. What started with the women's protest in Tehran and Kurdistan has now spread across the country with people taking to the streets, women burning their hijabs, and cutting their hair as a symbol of protest. These protests have been so effective that celebrities across Iran started joining this massive movement, and that is the biggest nightmare of the clerical regime that has been governed by a known hardliner Ebrahim Raesi who was elected in an orchestrated election. Among the most prominent celebrities to stand with the people is none other than the icon himself, Mohammad Ali Karimi. Karimi, a household name in Iran and a much-loved figure has been active n social media. The former Persepolis and Bayern Munich player has 12.2m Followers and his voice has been effective, leading the authorities to attempt to arrest him and confiscate his house unlawfully. The protest does not stop at a former Team Melli icon like Ali Karimi as the current squad has many who sympathize with the people and mourn Mahsa Amini. Sardar Azmoun, the Team Melli current top scorer who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, after the goal celebration against Senegal on Tuesday was one of the saddest witnessed in the history of Team Melli. Sardar Azmoun, despite the security apparatus ringing Team Melli in the Austrian camp, and everywhere outside Iran for that matter, managed to utter a few words that highlighted his status as a sympathizer for the people against the regime. The situation gets more complicated if we contemplate that there are players in the squad who are regime agents. This has been a known fact in Team Melli since the 1980s. Some players are recruited by the security apparatus for spying on others and get rewarded for it. Football is not the only game in Team Melli as politics is deep-rooted. It is clear that Team, Melli is split between three different factions. Dragan Skocic’s case was indicative of these differences with Azmoun and Taremi taking different views on the subject. It is a known fact that Taremi was the instigator and he pushed Jahanbakhsh and Hajsafi to meet the Iranian Minister of Sports while Team Melli was in camp in Doha to demand the removal of Skocic who guided Iran to the World Cup in what looked like Mission Impossible!. The government obliged and pushed for their man Mehdi Taj to be elected as head of the FFIRI with the main agenda item being the return of Queiroz. No one in his right mind would think that Queiroz got the job on merits. His failure with Egypt and Colombia would relegate him to the third division of the top coach’s league plus the fact that he failed in two World Cups with Iran and two AFC Asian cups. Unknown to him, the Portuguese coach is the main beneficiary in the Iranian politics that could be threatening Team Melli which is ready for combustion in the struggle of the political factions. These differences are directly related to the status of mass protests in the streets of Iranian cities. If the situation becomes calmer. The Team Melli camp tension will reduce, if things get worst in Iran, then there is a serious risk of disintegration or at least its weakening as a result of the loss of key players.  

Iran 1 - 1 Senegal: Team Melli remains unbeaten.

Team Melli played its last preparatory match against Senegal in Austria which ended in a 1-1 draw. Senegal scored first from an own goal by Morteza Pouraliganji (55') while Sardar Azmoun (64') headed Iran's equalizer from an assist by Hajsafi.

Queiroz opted to change the starting lineup in this match from the one that played Uruguay bringing in  Taremi, Majid Hosseini, Hossein Hosseini, Sarlak, Gholizadeh, and Ansarifard in the starting lineup.

The first half ended in a dull goalless draw in a half that was consistently interrupted by fouls.

Iran failed to register any shot on Senegal's goal in this half, while on the opposite side Hossein Hosseini managed a couple of good saves.  as Senegal threatened Iran's side sometime by the virtue of much better physicality. The African side was pressing on every ball relentlessly as if they are playing in the final of the cup, however, their final balls were sometimes comical hitting the roof of the stadium more often than Hosseini's goal. The Central defense of Team Melli, Kanani, and Hosseini combined well to thwart the dangerous Saido Mane who was the initiator of most of his team's offensive moves near and inside the box.

Team Melli was truly offensively shy. This comes as no surprise because the Queiroz ideology is on tight defense and in numbers, the offense is a bonus. There were four defensive midfield players in the lineup and that was just a taste of things to come and what the fans will experience in the World Cup.

The second half was much livelier with Senegal continuing their offensive and being the team that was hungrier for a win. A few minutes after the start, Hajsafi made a brilliant save preventing the ball from crossing the line in an open goal.  The consistent Senegalese offensive eventually paid off in the 55th minute as Pouralganji deflected a cross into his own net wrongfooting Hosseini in the goal.

Queiroz. feeling yet another defeat by Senegal, sent his top gun Azmoun, instead of Taremi. In one of the rare Team Melli offensives and from a clever ball by Jahanbaksh in the Senegal box to the on-rushing Hajsafi on his left, the Team Melli left back sent a sumptuous cross inside the box, where Azmoun majestically rose to head the ball in the met while Senegal goalkeeper was stranded. It was a great goal by Team Melli's third-highest scorer.

Senegal continued to test Team Melli defenses and Hosseini, however, their efforts were going nowhere despite some close calls and a total of 11 corners won. Mane was a pest for the defenders and indeed he was once again the player who created for his teammates but to no avail.

At the final whistle, Alliou Cissé and Carlos Queiroz held each other in a friendly hug and exchanged what could be as friendly taunts. This time Cissé failed to beat Mr. Carlos.

At the end of Iran's camp, the domestic league players will be back in Tehran on Friday, while the legionnaires will head back to their clubs direct from Vienna. It was a successful experience for Team Mell with more than satisfactory results registered against two top teams in FIFA Ranking.  However, there was nothing exciting about Team Melli in terms of performance, tactics, or game plan. Queiroz will not change his preferred style, not at this age anyway, and will stick to the things that he believes in and knows best. Team Melli will remain offensively shy under Queiroz. Players like Taremi and Azmoun will get very little service comes the World Cup matches.

Iran hope to spin chaos into gold at World Cup with Queiroz’s comeback

John Duerden Sun 25 Sep 2022 08.00 BST

Iran’s government is more involved than most in football – clubs are owned directly or indirectly by the state – but it keeps a closer eye than usual on the beloved national team at times of public unrest.

After the famous World Cup playoff win over Australia in 1997, the players were told to take their time coming home lest their presence pushes nationwide celebrations into something else.

The 2009 ‘Green Movement’ that sprang up to demonstrate against what was seen as a rigged presidential election led to a number of players wearing green armbands in a vital qualifier in Seoul. Within hours their pictures were being held up on the streets thousands of miles to the west.

Protestors are back on Iran’s streets after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody after she was arrested by the morality police on 13 September for “unsuitable attire”. If unrest continues, then any success at the World Cup, which is eight weeks away, may be viewed as a double-edged sword by authorities; and, if the latest international matches are anything to go by, then Iran are going to Qatar to be competitive against England, the USA and Wales who all lost.

In the first game since Carlos Queiroz returned as head coach this month, Team Melli beat Uruguay 1-0 in Austria. Thanks to international isolation and sanctions, it is rare that Iran play such opposition in friendlies, but this only highlights that this is one of the country’s best results in years. It is all the more impressive as it comes after months of chaos, infighting, and interference.

It started with being drawn with England and the USA. From Iran’s point of view, there could not have been two bigger and more symbolic opponents.

These are two nations with deep involvement in the modern history of one of the world’s oldest civilizations and which are held responsible for the 1953 coup that overthrew the democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh.

They are two nations that are still seen as being behind many of the problems that the country, beset by sanctions internationally and unrest at home, is facing and two national teams that present formidable opposition for one that had never progressed from the group stage in five World Cup appearances.

After the draw, however, with the group rivals all having homegrown managers, there were whispers that Iran should, for such symbolic games, have an Iranian coach.

Yet it was a Croatian, Dragan Skocic who took over in February 2020 and led the team through qualification with 15 wins in 18 games. On 9 July Iran’s volleyball team defeated Serbia in the Men’s Nations League. The following day a social media account of Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, reposted an old entry with a new title saying it was good to have success with an Iranian coach.

While it was later denied that this was expressing any opinion about what should happen with Team Melli, on 11 July Skocic was fired even though it seemed there were not enough board members around to sign the official document confirming his release. Reaction to the decision was mixed and even those not enamored of Skocic felt he had been treated poorly. Ali Daei was the frontrunner but quickly ruled himself out and other candidates did not set pulses racing.

Skocic was back on the job within a week but it was impossible to pretend that nothing had happened. The team was as split as public opinion. The striker Mehdi Taremi had an earlier falling out with the coach and led the contingent who wanted a change. It was even claimed that the Porto star and some teammates had met Iran’s minister of sports. Bayer Leverkusen’s Sardar Azmoun was the highest-profile backer of Skocic.

It was always going to be decided one way or the other at the end of August with the election of a new federation president. Mehdi Taj, who had been the president from 2016-19 and had worked with Queiroz, said openly he would consider bringing the former Real Madrid head coach back if he won.

Due to a lack of domestic options, Queiroz was seen as the next best thing; available and cheap, high-profile, familiar with the players and the politics, and more than capable of setting a team up to ensure there would be no World Cup embarrassments.

Skocic had earlier blamed “various interests” for trying to create tensions in the team but this time stayed quiet and focused on staying and securing his payout (sources have suggested that he allowed this to be set too low, making his dismissal fairly cheap). His supporters suggest there is some irony in a coach who successfully steered his team through qualification for the World Cup being replaced by one who failed with both Colombia and Egypt.

That will not bother Queiroz, a coach not averse to conflict and controversy. It was as if he had never left against Uruguay. Whatever the divisions in recent weeks, there did not seem to be a problem with team spirit, and Iran worked hard to frustrate the South Americans, snatching a late win. Taremi’s goal was a fine finish to a flowing move.

There are bigger issues at play right now in this football-loving country but after months of chaos, it could be that Team Melli have stumbled upon the right formula, even if it is a short-term one. At the very least Iran sent a message to the rest of Group B, not least to their first opponents, England.

Sun reporter told to wear hijab to interview Iran’s football team… in Austria

Stunned Isabelle Barker was told she could only speak to the international squad players and manager Carlos Queiroz if her hair was covered.

Stunned Isabelle Barker was told she could only speak to the international squad players and manager Carlos Queiroz if her hair was covered

Furious Isabelle considered staging a one-woman protest outside the team’s hotel in Vienna but, like a true professional, got on with her job. The hijab demand came from the squad’s security staff ahead of a press conference at the hotel yesterday, the day after Iran beat Uruguay 1-0 in a friendly. Public protests have been taking place in Iran after police allegedly beat a woman to death for wearing a headscarf the wrong way. Isabelle said she tried to buy a hijab after the order but the shops had shut so she made one from a T-shirt. She said of the ultimatum: “I couldn’t believe what was being asked of me and I even thought about staging my own protest. But I had a job to do so my only real option was to comply.” England play Iran in their World Cup opener in Qatar on November 21. Isabelle stressed that the hijab order had not come from the team’s press officer, former Man United coach Queiroz or any of the players, who include Omid Ebrahimi, “all of whom were friendly and cooperative”. The Iranian Football Federation had earlier barred all media from reporting on ­Friday’s game before making a U-turn. Tensions ignited during the match when two fans were ejected from the NV Arena for unveiling an anti-Iran sign.

Daily Mail : SPECIAL REPORT: Iran are in chaos

SPECIAL REPORT: Iran are in chaos ahead of the World Cup as unrest grows in the country... protestors ejected from Uruguay friendly by police, our reporter was banned from attending and players were 'forced to delete' their support online

  • Iran having struggles with protests in the country ahead of World Cup in Qatar
  • Protesters were ejected from their friendly match against Uruguay by police
  • Players appear to have been 'forced to delete their support on social media  
 

By IAN HERBERT FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY PUBLISHED: | UPDATED: 

It really should not happen to a former Real Madrid manager and one-time assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson but Carlos Queiroz was laying out the cones for an Iran training session in an obscure Vienna suburb last Thursday afternoon, having played a part in heading off a diplomatic incident.

The session, for a team who beat Uruguay 1-0 in a World Cup warm-up the following night, seemed to bring pleasure to a 69-year-old who has been re-hired to stop the rot in the Iran national side — even though he is being paid a mere £50,000 for a four-month contract which expires after the World Cup. His six coaches are on less than £30,000 between them.

The diplomatic role is trickier, given that Iran is in the midst of huge and escalating public protest after the death in custody of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the state’s morality police for allegedly improperly wearing a hijab and headscarf. Football worries the Iranian state because the nation’s football players have a habit of speaking their minds.

Against this backdrop, The Mail on Sunday arrived here last Wednesday to find we were among several western media organizations to have had our accreditation for the game withdrawn — on the orders of the Iranian state, according to several sources. The game was all ready to be played behind closed doors at the insistence of the Iranians, who were technically the hosts. Our subsequent approach to the Iranian FC vice-president Mahdi Mohammadnabi, at the team hotel, revealed just how terrified officials are about taking any step that the state apparatus might disapprove of. Mohammadnabi, a shambling figure in a shabby coat and cheap training gear, said nothing to us or Persian-speaking colleagues, apart from refusing us access to Queiroz.

  • Iranians have been protesting after Mahsa Amini was arrested by the state morality police

The manager then emerged from a hotel dining area to say he would speak beside the training pitch to the few reporters present. This appeared to be a test of whether there were enemies in Iran’s midst. Within 18 hours our accreditation was mysteriously restored. Threats of having to surrender mobile phones never materialized. Queiroz appears to have the power to act as a de-facto independent foreign envoy for Iran and maintain a semblance of credibility for its hapless FA. He is not afraid to speak because he does not live in fear of the state, as the FA officials do. He does not have a family in Iran to worry about. The Iranian state badly needs him, too, though as yet Queiroz has gone nowhere towards commenting on the treatment of women such as Amini. Iran seem to have thought that protest would never follow them to St Polten, a sleepy town 50 miles west of Vienna where this surreal match took place. But dissent stalked the place. Around 150 supporters of each side who were given entry, supposedly as VIPs, included two men who held up an image of Amini during the second half. They were immediately apprehended by Austrian police officers and frog-marched out of the stadium through a VIP lounge.

  • The Mail on Sunday's press passes were restored allowing them to speak to Queiroz

Austrian police spokesman Raimund Schwaigerlehner told The Mail on Sunday yesterday that the protesters had left the stadium ‘voluntarily.’ Once removed, they insisted they had had every right to protest peacefully. It was an extraordinary scene to observe in a democratic European country. The Austrians, tied up in knots by the Iranian state, also made the bizarre claim that any protest must ‘be registered with the competent authority’ up to 48 hours before it takes place. This was merely two men with an A4-size poster. On the field of play, some degree of sanity has been preserved after the implosion of the team under Croatian manager Dragan Skocic, Queiroz’s predecessor — who some players viewed with contempt. There were stories of training sessions involving little more than a ‘crossbar challenge’. One source felt the Iranians were particularly keen to get the proven Queiroz back because of the politically charged nature of Group B. ‘The thought of losing both to the USA and England is unthinkable for the Iranian state,’ the source said. Queiroz certainly has his work cut out, having been re-installed just two months before the tournament. He hinted on Thursday that the team will still be playing friendlies in the week before they take on England. There has been talk of a friendly against Russia in Doha that week, though Tehran seems a more likely venue.  

  • Queiroz insists that Iran are going to compete at the World Cup and are not 'no-hopers'

The manager dismissed Iran’s tag as the no-hopers of their group. ‘I don’t care about what others think. I care about us,’ said Queiroz. ‘I can’t control other people’s opinions. We have our strengths and qualities, but we have weaknesses like all teams. The time comes to speak on the pitch.’ The re-appointment of Queiroz has created a huge sudden sense of expectation and a first-ever advance to the knockout stages is now expected at home. The impressive 1-0 win over a strong Uruguay, with Porto forward Mehdi Taremi scoring, will heighten expectation. Iran are a technically effective side who press hard and, on the basis of Friday night, can whip the ball around rapidly. They are also up for a battle, as defender Hossein Kanaani, a big influence, proved by going nose to nose with Luis Suarez after a disagreement. But the political controversy will stalk Iran and the world cannot be shut out in Doha, where protest groups are likely to gather. Queiroz will field a battery of questions.

  • One player that has given support is former Bayern Munich midfielder Ali Karimi

Some of those Iranian players who have found their voice — such as former Bayern Munich midfielder Ali Karimi, with 11.4million Instagram followers — are now retired. But Zobeir Niknafs, who plays for Tehran side Esteghlal, shaved his head in an Instagram post which was a vivid display of solidarity with the protests. The core of Queiroz’s squad have also made it clear they will not be silenced. No fewer than seven, including the stars of the win over Uruguay, have changed Twitter profile pictures to black markers, in their own gesture of support. When the team return to the St Polten stadium on Wednesday for another friendly behind closed doors, against Senegal, protests about Amini’s death are expected outside. Austrian Police will be reluctant to be drawn into arrests in a nation where the right to protest is sacrosanct. This is how it will be from now on. Iran, a side of great promise, will take fireworks wherever they go.