A winning start for Iran Beach soccer.
Iran Beach soccer team started its pursuit to defend its Asian Title by defeating Lebanon 3-2 in Doha , Qatar.
The 2015 Asian Beach Soccer Championship matches are being held in the Katara Arena on the beach of Doha with the presence of 15 teams.
Lebanon scored the first goal but Mohammad Ali Sadeghi soon equalized for Iran. Farid Blokbashi put Iran in front with a spectacular header to make it 2-1 for the defending champion, before Mohammad Ahmadzadeh scored a third with one of his trickery shoots to put Iran 3-1 ahead with 6 minutes to go, A long range shot from Lebanon’s Halawi to make it 3-2 to ensure a thrilling finale, however Iran held comfortably and finished the first match on the right track with a hard fought win against an excellent Lebanese team.
Naderi wasted a penalty in the match, saved by the brilliant Lebanon keeper.
Iran will have a break tomorrow before meeting Thailand on Wednesday.
The winners, runners-up and third-placed team of this tournament are all guaranteed a spot at July’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Portugal.
Iran, the side ranked highest in Asia by FIFA, will face Thailand and Lebanon in Group D. In Group B, Japan, who finished fourth at the 2000 and 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups, are set to do battle with China, Vietnam and Kuwait, while the UAE, Uzbekistan and Iraq will compete in Group C.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the competition’s knockout stage ahead of the final which will be held on March 28.
Only six teams have confirmed their 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup places so far – Italy, Portugal, reigning champions Russia, Spain, Switzerland and Fiji.
AFC Beach Soccer Championship 2015 Groups
Group A: Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Laos
Group B: Japan, China, Vietnam, Kuwait
Group C: UAE, Uzbekistan, Iraq
Group D: Iran, Thailand, Lebanon
Iran’s U23 team (Omid Team) will start its long journey for the Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games 2016 Qualification at Azadi Stadium against Nepal on Monday 23rd March 2015.
The match on Monday is not expected to attract large number of fans due t the Nowrooz holidays and also due to the low expectation from a sting of failure by Iran that has hit this particular age group.
Mohammad Khakpour, a former Team Melli defender has been given this mammoth task and will be making his first attempt at this level of football to take Iran to the Olympics. Last time Iran made the Olympics games was back in 1980 Moscow games which eventually it boycotted.
Group C of the AFC U-23 Championship consists of Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Afghanistan and Iran will be played in Tehran. The final rounds will be played in Qatar nine months from now.
On Paper the group looks easy enough for Iran to make the final championship rounds along with Saudi Arabia. However, with recent Iranian teams performances against inferior oppositions, nothing is taken for granted. Omid Team personal have already been talking about the strength of the Nepalese team, the first of Iran’s opponents. Saudi Arabian teams at any level, of course are always very competitive and difficult to beat.
Palestine has emerged as a strong team at senior level and their U-23 remains as unknown quality. Neighboring Afghanistan has been solidly progressing at football and their players have a good knowledge of Iranian teams.
The squad was boosted with the news that Azmoun and Jahanbakhash will be joining them despite the objection of Team Melli coach Queiroz. A ruling by Ali Kaffashian favored Omid Team and frustrated Queiroz who has considered robbing of these two players from him as the final nail in the coffin.
Ali has named six players who were not part of the Gulf Cup squad for the elite continental competition beginning in January. Al Ahli goalkeeper Majed Nasser and Al Wahda centre-back Hamdan Al Kamali have been recalled to the side.
UAE will play friendlies against Jordan and Kuwait after reaching Australia on Wednesday. After the friendlies, Ali will trim his squad down to 23 players.
UAE -- who reached the final of the competition in 1996 when they were hosts -- take on Qatar on Jan. 11 in their first group game in Canberra.
Squad:
Goalkeepers Majed Nasser, Ali Khaseif, Khalid Essa,
Defenders: Mohammed Fawzi, Abdulaziz Haikal, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohamed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Mohanad Salem,
Midfielders: Ismail Al Hammadi, Hassan Ibrahim, Majed Hassan, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Amer Abdulrahman, Haboosh Saleh, Mohamed Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman,
Forwards: Ali Mabkhout, Ahmed Khalil, Salem Saleh, Saeed Al Kathiri
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The team will have an early evening training session before the friendly game tomorrow.
Coach Eid has included all three professional players - Fawzi Ayesh, Abdulla Omar and Jessi John - in the squad which was cut from 27 to 23 before leaving for Kuala Lumpur.
The trio were not selected by the previous coach Adnan Hamad of Iraq for the 22nd Gulf Cup held in Riyadh in October. Bahrain failed to qualify for the knock-out stage and coach Hamad was sacked.
The best position of Bahrain was in the 2004 edition in China where they were ranked 4th. Bahrain has a player nicknamed "Karimi" after the famous Iranian player Ali Karimi.
Goalkeepers :Sayed Mohamed Jaafar (Muharraq) Ashraf Waheed (Manama), and Hamad Al-Dosari (Al Riffa)
Defenders : Mohammed Hussain (Al Nasr KSA), Hussain Baba (Al Kuwait FC KWI), Rashid Al-Houti (Al Busaiteen) , Abdullah Al-Hazza (Al Hidd) , Faisal Ali Budahoom (Al Riffa) , Mohammed Daij (Al Riffa), Walid Al Hayyam (Muharraq)
Midfielders: Abdullah Yusuf (East Riffa), Abdulla Abdo (Al Riffa), Abdullah Shallal (Al Riffa), Sami Al-Husseini (Al Busaiteen) , Abdullah Omar(Al Riffa), Fawzi Ayesh (Al Saliyya QAT), Abdul Wahab Almalood (Al Hidd)
Forwards : Ismail Abdullatif (Al Nahdha KSA), Abdulwahab Ali, Syed Zia Saeed Muharraq) , Seyed Ahmed Jaffar "Karimi" (Al Busaiteen), Jaycee John Okwunwanne (Al Khraityat QAT), Mohammed Tayeb (Al Najma)
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