Tag: Stadium Australia

AFC rejects Iran doping claims.

Sydney (AFP) – Iran‘s protest that Iraq fielded an ineligible player in their stormy Asian Cup quarter-final was shot down following lengthy deliberation by tournament organisers on Sunday.

Iran lodged a formal complaint, claiming that midfielder Alaa Abdulzehra failed a drugs test while playing for an Iranian club last year, but it was rejected by the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) disciplinary committee.

“It’s rejected, they said this player can carry on and play,” Iranian delegation head Houshang Moghaddas told AFP. “Iraq tomorrow can play … tomorrow morning we fly (home),” he added.

An AFC statement released later said that the protest was “unfounded”, without giving further details.

The decision follows several hours of closed-door talks in Sydney with Iraqi and Iranian delegates both giving evidence to the AFC’s disciplinary committee.

It means 2007 champions Iraq, who won Friday’s combustible match on penalties, are free to contest their semi-final against South Korea on Monday.

Iraqi coach Radhi Shenaishil insisted the 11th-hour protest had not distracted his team as they made final preparations for the last-four clash in Sydney.

“The objection has been officially closed and the subject is closed from our side,” he told reporters at Stadium Australia. “We have nothing to add. The (protest) from the Iran team is something they created and hasn’t affected us at all for tomorrow’s match.”

The AFC’s decision also avoids the messy scenario of throwing out Iraq and reinstating Iran, which would probably also have meant rescheduling the semi-final.

Iran’s protest centred on their claim that Adulzehra, now playing for Iraq’s Al Shorta, failed a drugs test while at Iranian club side Tractor Sazi last year.

According to documents seen by AFP, the 27-year-old tested positive for banned stimulant methylhexaneamine, in results that were verified by a WADA-approved laboratory in Cologne.

In an email exchange dated last September, world football body FIFA promised to take action but there is no record of a suspension for Abdulzehra.

Iranian officials raised the matter again with FIFA on January 21, the day after Iraq qualified for a quarter-final with their fierce rivals by finishing second in Group D.

Moghaddas said he was bitterly disappointed by the result of the Iran’s appeal, which confirms the departure of the three-time champions.

“The AFC are supporting players who are doping, who are using drugs and playing,” he said. “I don’t accept this kind of decision. I refuse.”

A spokesman for the Iraqi team was dismissive of the Iranian appeal, which prompted them to change their flights to await the verdict.

“Let them stay here as much as they want,” the Iraqi official told AFP.

Iraq won Friday’s spicy encounter against their neighbours and bitter rivals 7-6 on penalties after Iran were reduced to 10 men and extra time finished with the scores at 3-3.

Recriminations started immediately after the match when Iran coach Carlos Queiroz complained bitterly about the referee’s decision to send off one of his players for simulation.

South Korea to meet the winner of Iran vs. Iraq in the semi finals.

22 January 2015 WSG

Melbourne: Son Heung-min scored twice in extra-time as two-time champions Korea Republic secured a third consecutive appearance in the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup after edging out Uzbekistan 2-0 in a thrilling quarter-final at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Thursday.

Bayer Leverkusen forward Son netted with just over a minute of the first half of extra-time remaining following an entertaining yet goalless 90 minutes of normal time, which was the first draw of the tournament, before repeating the feat at the end of the second period.

And having followed up their win over Uzbekistan in the third place play-off at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup with a fourth consecutive win of the 2015 campaign without conceding a goal, Uli Stielike’s Group A winners will face either Iran or Iraq in Monday’s semi-final at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

IRAN BRACED FOR STERN QATAR CHALLENGE

14 January 2015
Michael Church

Sydney: Qatar’s heavy defeat at the hands of the United Arab Emirates has not lulled Iran coach Carlos Queiroz into expecting anything other than a challenging encounter when his team face off against the Gulf Cup holders in their Group C meeting at Stadium Australia on Thursday.

The UAE handed the Qataris a 4-1 thrashing in their clash in Canberra on Sunday while Iran earned a 2-0 victory over Bahrain in Melbourne that leaves Team Melli knowing victory over Djamel Belmadi’s side will take them into the quarter-finals.

Queiroz has a full squad available to him after Andranik Teymourian shook off the effects of fatigue from the opening game, with cramping keeping him out of Tuesday’s training session, and the Portuguese coach believes his side face a tough challenge against the 2011 quarter-finalists.

“The game was one of those games, it’s a result that happens. It could go in both directions,” said the former Real Madrid coach. “UAE played well. They played the aces they should play, but the result does not show exactly what happened in the game. We don’t follow that trend.

“Qatar are a good team with good players, good coaches and in the last 14 games they won eight games and drew four and only lost against UAE and in another game. That shows that the team is very strong, they are a good team that will create a lot of problems for us for sure. We know the quality of the Qatar team.

“But the most important thing for us is knowing that you play Qatar tomorrow, and to know what we’re going to do tomorrow. It’s not about Qatar tomorrow (Thursday), it’s about us and how we’re going to express our game and play and have fun and play quality football and put that on the pitch.

“I prefer to be focused on my team, not so much concerned on the team from Qatar. We know they had a bad result, but bad results don’t show that a team is bad, just like a good result doesn’t show a team is good. Since yesterday we have only had one thing in mind: the Iran national team and how we are going to play against Qatar.”

Iran impressed in their opening game of the tournament and Queiroz will be encouraging his players to express themselves in a similar manner against the Qataris.

“We try to put in practice on the pitch a simple and accurate plan,” he said. “We have a team, we need to express our football with discipline with organisation and with something special in mind, to do our best in 90 minutes to try and win the game and this is the plan. This is what I used to say to my players.

“According to the limits of the team spirit and the team principles they must express themselves and fly and swim free because they have a team behind them and they must play for them. The plan is simple. They know we have in front of us one national team with a very, very deep and strong preparation.

“Fourteen games in the legs is a serious preparation to play this Asian Cup. Good players. They have achieved good results in the last 14 games, so we know that the answer can be: Do it together, united and together as a team.”