Team Melli continued its preparation for the 3 match series in the FIFA World Cup 2014 qualification rounds, the first of which will be held on the 4th June in Doha against Qatar.

In a short interview with Khosrow Heydary , the Esteghlal right back expressed his satisfaction with the atmosphere of the camp in the “Iranian Club” of Dubai and in particular the facilities and the good condition of the pitch at the club.  Heydari said “the the pitch is ideal for training while the gym has ample training equipments for light physical training and recovery. I think we will be at top physical condition for the match.”

Commenting on the match itself , Heydari  reflecting the Queiroz tactics and mentality , said:  “We will initially aim not to concede a goal and if we succeed in that and build a solid defense , we can build attacks as we are able to score against any team in Asia.”

Asked about his own recent good form the Esteghlal right back said “Qatar team consists of majority foreign and neutralized players.  Only a few of the players are Qatari while the rest have been given citizenship to play and act as Qataris. It is easier to pass and beat the markers of the Persian Gulf teams. Anyway , we need to utilize the skills of our players to the maximum if we want to pull off a victory.”

Amir Hossein Sadeghi expressed similar sentiments to his teammate Heydari. The Esteghlal defender could very well be starting the match against Qatar alongside his club teammate Pejman Montazeri. The center defense of Team Melli has been a source of concern for Queiroz with the long running partnership of Aghili and Hosseini being no more an option. Aghili is out of the team due to disciplinary reasons, while Hosseini has seen a dip in his form both at club and country.

Amir Hossein Sadeghi has compared the upcoming match with Qatar to the famous Melbourne battle in 1997 in which Iran was virtually out of the World Cup with 2 goals in arrears , but a Karim Bagheri goal and the Khodadad Azizi’s magical strike sent the Iranians into elation and ecstasy as Iran qualified. Sadeghi said that the players must have the spirit of Melbourne heroes in Doha.

Sadeghi said that hey have completed 3 full practice session and all is well the players and the staff.

The Iranian club, the venue of Team Melli training camp ,  is run by the Persian community in Dubai. The club is a non-profit organization and operates as a social and culture center for large expatriate Iranians. It is a highly popular and successful club that has many sport activities amongst others. The restaurant  at the club is considered one of the best Iranian in Dubai.