Editorial: Talking Iran and the World Cup

Four years ago Iran heavily dominated Jordan in Azadi but yet in a shocking fashion gave away the three points in the dying minutes of the game. Iran had not lost a competitive home game since 1973 and still hasn’t, except for that bitter and unjust loss to Jordan. A star crowded Iran team would later win two must-win away games to Jordan and Qatar and advance to the final round.

48 months later Iran would yet again play two huge away games in the first qualifying round for the World Cup. This time around the UAE and Syria were eagerly awaiting to take Iran’s spot in the next round. The four years had set its mark on the Iran team as it no longer possessed a handful of big stars such as Daei, Azizi, Mahdavikia, Karimi, and Hashemian. The younger and possibly even less talented team would repeat the history in a less nerve-racking way and seal Iran’s tickets with one game to spare.

Not only in Asia but all over the world the gaps between the teams are closing and UAE, Syria and Kuwait didn’t disappoint the new trend in football and proved they aren’t a walk-over for any team in the continent. Actually the gaps haven’t been closing only in Iran’s group but in all five Asian qualifying groups. Qatar who has more foreigners in their team than Qatari’s finished above Iraq and China, Bahrain beat Japan and only lost its away game to Japan in the dying minutes, North Korea didn’t concede a single goal in its six games and Uzbekistan thrashed the Saudis at home. UAE with Metsu at the wheel have won their first Gulf Cup, beating the likes of a strong Saudi team, and maybe for the first time ever has a player in Matar that would go straight into the Iran eleven. Syria just as UAE have a strong national team these days as the nation have been bearing the fruit of Al Karama’s success in the AFC Champions League the last few years. Al Karama’s results over the last three seasons have been nothing but sensational for a Syrian team. Syria also just recently invited and played three European-Syrian players which one of them had played for the Swedish national team.

At the same time as football in UAE and Syria is on a high, football in Iran is on a low. Iranian football has been without a proper federation and a national team coaching staff for many months and had no preparation whatsoever for it’s first round World Cup qualifying campaign. A lot of negative happenings led up to Iran’s poor results and even more poor performance in the first qualifying game against Syria.

"The Emperor" Afshin Ghotbi had been announced as the saviour and had said goodbye to his players in Perspolis. The next day he was back at his club as "the King", Ali Daei, was the new head coach of Iran. Daei was set to keep coaching his club SAIPA but also be in charge of the national team. Daei just recently gave up on his own playing career and many were concerned that Daei now wouldn’t pick many of the stars whom he was not "best friends" with. With time, and due to many different reasons, this is what has happened as Daei has been building a whole new team, more or less anyway. Hashemian had once again said no to playing for the team, Mahdavikia once again had been sidelined due to injuries and Ali Karimi just hasn’t been invited lately. Daei also surprisingly has not called up Iran’s best left-footed left-winger Madanchi and his team-mates from the U-20 World Cup Mobali and Kazemyan. The trio who previously have been glued in the national team squad have been big stars in the UAE league, Mobali being announced as the best foreign player and Madanchi being the third best goal scorer in the league. Daei’s stubbornness in playing Ebrahim Sadeghi and neglecting Iman Mobali against opposition that arguably would suit Mobali much better is highly controversial but somehow impersonates this new Iran team under Daei who has been taking his own way and building his own team and so far it’s been good.

However in the next round tougher opposition awaits and the question is if Daei really believes his new team can go all the way without being strengthened with the above players. Some argue that Daei will keep the same pattern since it’s been successful so far, while others argue Hashemian, Mahdavikia and Karimi are given starters and have no replacement in the team while Madanchi, Mobali and Kazemyan should be included in the squad and be considered to even play from start.