After a grueling 4 days training camp in Kish Island in the Persian Gulf, Team Melli flew the short trip to Bahrain onboard a chartered flight and landed in the evening.

The coaching staff worked on the fitness and endurance of the players under hot, sultry, and humid conditions of the Persian Gulf. Heavy breathing and hydrated bodies were evident during these sessions.

The Iranian national team has to play four crucial matches in a compromised situation orchestrated to undermine Team Melli’s chances to qualify for the next round of the World Cup. Iran is not only a victim of politics and interests, a common occurrence in the world of football across the world, it has also to fight climatical conditions that historically have been not very favorable for the Iranians.

As if these two negative aspects are not bad enough, the pandemic in Bahrain has reached a record level and the country is in lockdown until 10th June. Bahrain is now in the top 5 countries in the world in terms of number of positive cases and deaths due to Coronavirus. The figures are measured in terms cases of per capita. The increased number of covid19 cases in Bahrain has not deemed a serious threat for selecting Bahrain as a host.  

This unfavorable situation prompted the technical staff to hold a camp before entering Bahrain. Team Melli training sessions were accompanied by excessive sweating and heavy breathing,

However, despite the brave effort of the coaching team in picking Kish island for the short training camp, it is hardly effective in assisting the players playing under extreme conditions. The time spent in Kish, which has a similar climate to Bahrain, is certainly too short for the players to adapt to environmental conditions. The Iranians will be fighting dehydration and loss of energy, while it favors the host team that has already acclimatized to such conditions.

Another issue that has been a major concern for the players for many years and highlighted by Carlos Queiroz repeatedly, is the poor quality of the kits used by Team Melli. The not-so-advanced training kit, which weighs on the player’s body due to the lack of modern technologies for heat dissipation, has been a burden on the players.

After arriving in Bahrain and taking the corona test, the Iranian squad will train on June 11th and 12th, while on June 13th, they will face Hong Kong in their first match. Team Melli’s next match would be with host Bahrain a match that might decide the qualification from this group.