AFC - Iran national team coach Amir Ghalenoiee
believes the No 10 jersey, worn with distinction by former skipper Ali Daei
over the years, should be retired in honour of the legendary striker’s
contributions to Team Melli.
Speaking at a press conference, Ghalenoiee said: “Daei was one of my team
mates in Team Melli and I have really not decided who deserves to wear that
jersey (No 10). But if the (Iran) Football Federation regulations allow me I
would like to retire it. His (Daei’s) was a legendary era in Iranian
football.”
Saipa player-coach Daei, 38 and the first man to hit a century of
international goals, is yet to announce his retirement from the
international game but has not been considered by Ghalenoiee for the
national team after a poor performance in last year’s FIFA World Cup.
When asked about Team Melli’s preparations for the July 7-29 AFC Asian Cup
2007™, Ghalenoiee said: “We are trying to arrange some friendly matches but
nothing is confirmed as of yet.”
“We have a special plan for the AFC Asian Cup™ but this alone will not
guarantee success. It is better to take the 2006 World Cup as an example.
That is football.”
Ghalenoiee took pains to assure that he was trying to strike a balance
between both the right and left flanks of Team Melli. “Mehdi Mahdavikia,
Hossein Kaabi and Javad Kazemian have made the right flank very strong but
now we need to counterbalance it by strengthening the left flank. Fereydoon
Zandi, Nikbakht Vahedi, Sattar Zare and Mohsen Yousefi are the candidates I
am banking on to do this.”
Iran have been drawn in Group C with co-hosts Malaysia, China and
Uzbekistan.
