Guinea defeated Iran 2-1 in a Azadi Stadium  in a friendly international match as part of Iran’s preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil.

Guinea scored two quick goals in 34 and 36 minutes , the first one from a long range shot by Kevin Constant  that easily passed under Davari’s arm,  while the second was a beauty similar to the first however much more powerful  from  Ibrahima Traoré  who tormented the Iranian defenders , leaving Davari to just watch the ball . Reza Ghoochannejad scored Iran’s goal at minute 55 from a fine exchange between Dejagah and Jahanbakhsh.

The deserted Azadi seats was not a good omen for Team Melli as Carlos Queiroz stuck to his old guns putting up his best line up minus the injured Ando Teymourian. All the legionnaires were starting which pretty much represents the strongest team that Queiroz has at his disposal.

Despite that, Team Melli was soon exposed for lack of pace, stamina and inferior tactics against the much quicker and younger African team. The first half was controlled by the guests and their superiority was answered by the two quick goals by Constant and Traoré .

Iran’s best efforts was two long range shots by Haddadifar and Nekounam

in the second half , with the introduction of Khosrow Haidary and Alireza Jahanbakhsh Iran started much better and managed a string of offensive moves that resulted in a goal by Ghoochannejad. Despite the better ball possession, however , the lack of creativity , futile crossing and some sub-standard finishing , was not enough to change the result.

With less than 100 days to go to the World Cup , it is highly unlikely that a major improvement will be seen in Team Melli. Over-aged , short of pace , short of leadership on and off the field  and  based on this match  where an average African team , not in the top league of the elite of Africa, Team Melli must fear for the worst. Against the might of Argentine and the two other powerful teams, there is a lot lacking in every department. . Some players, like Masoud Shojae , have no place in Team Melli  , while Queiroz  blind faith in foreign based have not exactly turned into a triumph card. Two of the new players Davari and Beitashour have not added any value to the team , but Davari’s horrid form lately and his performance against Guinea is very serious concern for the fans.

With tried and trusted players like Nekounam and Jabbari , lethargic ,  fatigued and displaying a visible drop in form , Queiroz will have a mighty task defending his reputation and that of Iran.

Guinea 23 years old forward Idrissa Sylla suffered a serious head injury while training with his team in Azadi Stadium today.

The practice session was stopped for awhile and finally the team managers decided to call and ambulance to take Sylla to an emergency ward in a Tehran hospital. Apparently Sylla and another teammate went for heading the same ball with a teammate when the head crash occurred.

The incident affected the morale of the visiting Guinean team.

Team Melli will be meeting Guinea in a friendly match on Wednesday as part of the preparation program for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2014.

Guinea squad left Conakry on Saturday for a reunion in Germany before heading to Tehran. coach of the Guinean team, Michel Dussuyer recently reappointed, summoned 22 players. Listed below are the main squad: 

Goalkeepers: Abdul Aziz Keita (ASK) and Naby Yattara (France).

Defenders: Thierno Bah (France), Babacar Camara (ASK), Abdoulaye Cissé (Fello Star), Pay Djibril Tamsir (Moldova), Florentin Pogba (France), Baissama Sankhon (France) and Issiaga Sylla (France).

Midfielders: Ibrahima Conte (Belgium), Kevin Constant (Italy), Sadio Diallo (France), Mohamed Diarra (Denmark), Boubacar Fofana (Portugal) djiba Keita (CIK) and Michel Landel Guy (France). 

Forwards: Alhassane Bangoura (Spain), Salim Cissé (Portugal), Seydouba Soumah (Slovakia), Idrissa Sylla (Belgium), Ibrahima Traoré (Germany) and Mohamed Lamine Yattara (France ).

Team Melli consisting mostly of reserve players . defeated Kuwait 3-2 in Enghilab Stadium , Karaj in the final round of the AFC Asian Cup qualification match.

in a thrilling final minutes of the match , while Iran was leading 2-1 , Kuwaiti forward Fahad Al  Rasheedi scored Kuwait equalizer while 3 Iraninan defenders were surrounding him , yet he beat Ahmadi easily. However ,  that joy was short lived as substitute Karim Ansarifard scored in added time to cut short the Kuwaiti celebration of the equalizer. Yaghoub Karimi send an immaciulate cross from the left where Ansarifard rised to head home on the far side of desperate Al khalidi.

Team Melli scored as early as the 1st minute when Yaghoub Karimi from the right , beat his marker easily and send a powerful low volley into the Kuwaiti net. Kuwait equalizer came through Mosen Bengar when he deflect a ball into Rahman Ahmadi’s net.

An own goal also restored Iran’s lead when Payam Sadeghian send a low cross from the right hand side in the 2nd half  which was met by Kuwait’s Husssin Al Fadhel deflecting it into his own net.

The match was played in a good spirit until the petulant Kuwait keeper Al Khaldi nearly started a mass bust up. In front of the referee , he pushed Bakhtiyar Rahmani from the back although the Iranian midfielder made a gallant effort not clash with the keeper. Following that a spate of shoving and pushing started mainly by Messaed Nada who was acting like a gang member. Sanity prevailed after the officials of the two teams intervened, but the shock was the Kyrgyzstan referee action. He awarded the victim , Rahmani a yellow card for no offense at all, while he left the two Kuwaiti  players who started the assault , unpunished.  Such is the standard of refereeing in Asia, unfortunately.

In a wise and logical move by Queiroz , the Portuguese coach elected to use his B team for this match while he has a match against Guinea in two days time. The gamble paid off nicely and despite some setbacks, the reserve team under the Captaincy of Ehsan Haj Safy played well and above expectation. There were some nice passes exchanges as the team created several scoring chances.

Iran & Kuwait qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2015 Australia.

 

 

Teams	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
I.R. IRAN	6	5	1	0	18	5	13	16
KUWAIT	6	2	3	1	10	7	3	9
LEBANON	5	1	2	2	7	12	-5	5
THAILAND	5	0	0	5	5	16	-11	0

 

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AFC.COM report

 

Karaj: Karim Ansari Fard’s stoppage-time header secured a 3-2 victory for Iran over Kuwait in Group B of AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 qualifying on Monday, ensuring Carlos Queiroz’s side finished on top of the standings.

Both nations fielded unfamiliar sides having already guaranteed their tickets for the finals in January of next year, and the Iranians’ experimental line-up took the lead after just two minutes through Yaghoub Karimi.

Mesaed Nada levelled the scores in the 18th minute with a deflected effort before the Iranians regained the lead 16 minutes into the second half, when Payam Sadeghian found the back of the net. Jorvan Vieira’s visitors thought they had done enough to claim a share of the points when, with a minute remaining, a fine effort from Fahad Al Rashidi restored parity once again, only for Ansari Fard to secure the win a minute into added time when he nodded in Ehsan Haj Safi’s cross.

“Today’s match was worth three points and we finished the qualifying group stage with 16 points,” said Queiroz after the game. “It also was a good chance for some players to experience an international match.

“Some of our players had trained with us in only two sessions. And some were earning their first national cap.

“We confronted a strong Kuwaiti side who had stopped us in Kuwait with a draw. Some of the new players were naturally a little anxious at the beginning of the match, but we got control during the second period. I am satisfied with the victory.”

The result left Kuwait on nine points, seven behind the Iranians but secure in second place ahead of third-placed Lebanon’s meeting with Thailand in the group’s remaining fixture on Wednesday.

“I don’t want to criticise my players, because they played well and I am proud of them,” said Vieira.

“It was a good game and I am satisfied with my players. We conceded a very early goal, which unbalanced the game and my players lost their concentration. Also it was this lack of focus in our defence which caused the goal.

“We got back into game after conceding the first goal by scoring the equaliser. It was a deflection however, but we ended the first half well.

“We resumed the second half just fine, but tiredness was the reason which blocked us. Our mistakes, which are normal, punished us although we played fine.

“After conceding the second goal we didn’t get disappointed and tried to stay in the game and level the match. We found the equaliser but unfortunately we conceded the third goal.”

Both nations will go into the draw for the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 finals, which will be held at Sydney Opera House on March 26 for the tournament, which kicks off on January 9, 2015.

 

Correction to AFC.COM report.

The 1st equalizing goals for Kuwait was scored by Iran’s Mohsen Bengar as an own goal, while Iran’s second goals was scored by a Kuwaiti defender NOT Payam Sadeghian.

 

 

After a long break since the last match official match played against South Korea, where Team Melli won the qualification for the FIFA World Cup, the team is in action against Kuwait.

Both Iran & Kuwait have qualified for the finals of AFC Asian Cup 2015 Australia from the group. With that in mind Kuwait will be playing with less than full strength team with quitaw a few absentees. Team Melli however, will be at full strength and considers this match as an important  preparatory games in the FIFA World Cup training.

 

AFC.COM Report

 Karaj: Coach Jorvan Vieira insists his Kuwait side are intent on victory ahead of Monday’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier with Iran, despite having already secured their place in Australia as Group B runner-up, alongside their hosts, with a game to spare.

Both sides have enjoyed undefeated qualifying campaigns so far, and Kuwait’s 3-1 victory at Kuwait Sports Club Stadium last November against Thailand confirmed the team’s qualification for the 2015 finals after Iran defeated Lebanon in the day’s earlier fixture.

And coach Vieira knows what it takes to triumph at the continental tournament after helming Iraq to victory at the 2007 edition. The experienced Brazil-born, Portuguese national is also familiar with the setting for their final game of qualifying at Karaj’s Enghelab Stadium having formerly been manager of Iran Pro League side Sepahan.

“We are here to collect three points; we are not here for tourism. We are ready for this match to defend our honour and reputation,” he said.

“We are here to play good football, and our aim is to keep our fans content. Iran is not a new country for me, I have already worked here and I’m very well acquainted with the environment and conditions.”

Coach Carlos Queiroz, meanwhile, will have a depleted squad from which to select his Iran side with his foreign-based players only arriving in time for Wednesday’s friendly against Guinea, in addition to having key player Andranik Teymourian ruled out with injury ahead of their final Group B qualifier.

“Our goal is always to win, so having already qualified to Asian Cup 2015 doesn’t mean that we’re not taking this game seriously,” said coach Queiroz, whose team currently top the qualifying group by four points.

“Unfortunately yesterday we found that after Esteghlal’s AFC Champions League match against Al Shabab, Andranik Teymourin’s hand has been fractured, this is bad news for Esteghlal, Team Melli and above all for Andranik.”

“In addition, our five foreign-based players will join us only on Monday morning, so we can’t use their services against Kuwait.”

Group B’s final fixture between Thailand and Lebanon takes place on Wednesday at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium

The list of Team Melli squad has been announced for the matches against Kuwait in the AFC Asian Sup Qualifications round.

The squad will be gathering on Thursday right after the 4 Iranian clubs complete their first round matches of the AFC Champions League.

Apart from the inclusion of the bad boy of Iran’s football Payam Sadeghian,  No big surprises are included . There is a first call for 2 players, Foolad Khuzestan’s defender Mehrdad Jamaati and the young Sepahan Esfahan’s forward Ali Karimi . This Karimi’s inclusion killed all rumors of the real Ali Karimi , now with Tractorsazi being included in the squad  following some Queiroz remarks commending the standard of the 36 year player , perhaps mistaken by some as a sign that Tractorsazi’s Karimi will be in the team to Brazil.  Sepaahan’s Karimi  , might create a confusion with his famous namesake , if he is selected in the final squad. That is , however, very unlikely. There are recalls for 4 ex-Team Melli member Ale Nemeh , Bengar , Nourouzi and Queiroz all time favorite Mehrdad Pooldi    , who was once included in Team Melli squad while he was on crutches!

The surprising commissions include the creative Persepolis midfielder Mohsen Mosalman who , along with Sadeghian pushed Persepolis upwards in the league table.   Also absent is Arash Afshin , the Foolad forward has regained his form and confidence since his return back to his original club from Sepahan. Sepahan’s center Back Shoja’a Khalilzadeh must also be disappointed by being omitted from the squad after some earlier good form in the season.

 

Name Club 1. AHMADI, Rahman Sepahan 2. ALE NEMEH, Ahmad Naft Tehran 3. ANSARIFARD, Karim Tractorsazi 4. BEIGZADEH, Hashim Esteghlal 5. BEITASHOUR, Steven Vancouver Whitecaps 6. BENGAR, Mohsen Persepolis 7. DAVARI, Daniel Eintracht Braunschweig 8. DEJAGAH, Ashkan FUlham 9. GHOOCHANNEJAD, Reza Charlton Atheletics 10. HADDADIFAR, Ghassim Zob Ahan 11. HAGHIGHI, Alireza Sporting Covilhã 12. HAGHIGHI, Reza Persepolis 13. HAJSAFY, Ehsan Sepahan 14. HEYDARI, Khosrow Esteghlal 15. HOSSEINI, Jalal Persepolis 16. JABBARI, Mojtaba Al Arabi 17. JAHANBAKHSH, AliReza NEC 18. JAMAATI, Mehrdad Foolad Khuzestan 19. KARIMI, Ali Sepahan 20. KARIMI, Yaghoub Sepahan 21. KHALATBARY, MohamadReza Persepolis 22. KHANZADEH, Mohammadreza Zob Ahan 23. LAK, Hamed Tractorsazi 24. MAHINI, Hossein Persepolis 25. MAKANI, Sousha Foolad Khuzestan 26. MONTAZERI, Pejman Um Slal 27. NEKOUNAM, Javad Al Kuwait 28. NOUROZI, Reza Naft Tehran 29. POOLADI, Mehrdad Persepolis 30. RAHMANI, Bakhtiyar Foolad Kuzestan 31. SADEGHIAN , Payam Persepolis 32. SADEGHI, AmirHossein Esteghlal 33. SHOJAEI, Masoud Las Palmas 34. TEYMOURIAN, Andranik Esteghlal