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AFP - In-form Iran will look to their
European-based players for inspiration at the Asian Cup as the three-time
champions attempt to win the trophy for the first time in 20 years.
Bolton Wanderers midfielder Andranik Teymourian, Eintracht FrankfurtÂs Mehdi
Mahdavikia, Livorno defender Rahmen Razaei, Hannover striker Vahid Hashemian
and Ali Karimi, who played for Bayern Munich last year, will be crucial.
While Iran are desperate to again lift the Asian Cup they are also out to
make amends for their World Cup debacle last year in Germany when they lost
to Portugal and Mexico and drew with Angola.
That failure cost coach Branko Ivankovic and the head of Iran's Football
Federation Mohammad Dadkan their jobs and prompted an apology "to the
Iranian people, on behalf of the Football Federation, for hurting their
pride."
Current coach Amir Ghalenoei will be feeling the pressure ahead of their
opening match here against Uzbekistan on July 11 in a group that also
includes Malaysia and China, knowing failure will not be tolerated.
While Iran have won the Cup three times (in 1968, 1972 and 1976), most of
the current players were not even born during the last triumph.
"We have a special plan for the Asian Cup, but this alone will not guarantee
success," said Ghalenoei.
"It is better to take the 2006 World Cup as an example. That is football."
While Ghalenoei seems to have settled on Mahdavikia, Hossein Kaabi and Javad
Kazemian on his right flank, the left side of the team remains vulnerable.
"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," he said.
They will also be without veteran Ali Daei, the first player in the world to
hit 100 international goals, who announced his retirement in May after
scoring 109 goals in 149 games.
Nevertheless, they have had a solid preparation, retaining the WAFF
Championship after defeating Iraq in the final last month in Amman and
thrashing Jamaica 8-0 on Monday evening in Tehran.
China are Iran's bogey team, beating them in the semi-finals at the last
Asian Cup in 2004, although Mahdavikia, Iran's captain, said the whole group
would be tough.
"Uzbekistan is among top Central Asian states and its football is very
similar to that of Eastern Europe. So, it is a dangerous rival," he said.
"China has had a cut-throat competition with Iran in the past years and it
will go for broke in the tournament.
"Malaysia is not an underdog either as it is one of the co-hosts.
"It's a very tough task for us at the Asian Cup."
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