Iran Name World Cup Squad

GOAL- 28 players have been named for Iran's friendly match against Costa Rica on January 30 and the first World Cup qualifier against Syria one week later.

While several players from UAE and Qatar League are included in the roster, the only European based players are Mehdi Mahdavikia from Eintracht Frankfurt, Andranik Teymourian from Bolton Wanderers and Leicester City's Hossein Kaabi, although the latter is on the verge of leaving the English Championship side.

Mahdavikia and Teymourian are expected to miss the Costa Rica friendly but will feature play against Syria.

Ferydoon Zandi, who just recenently found a new club after being unemployed for six months, the injured Javad Nekounam as well as Rahman Rezaei and Vahid Hashemian, who both had asked not to be invited for the first round of World Cup qualification, are prominent absentees.

Newly appointed head coach Javier Clemente will observe the test match against Costa Rica from the stands before debuting in the first match on Iran's way to South Africa 2010 against Syria on February 6.

Iran squad:

Goalkeepers: Vahid Talebloo (Esteghlal Tehran)Mehdi Rahmati (Mes Kerman)Mehdi Vaezi (Persepolis Tehran)Abbas Mohammadi (Sepahan Esfahan)

Defenders:Mohammad Nosrati (Persepolis Tehran)Jalal Hosseini (Saipa Karaj)Hadi Aghili (Sepahan Esfahan)Mohsen Bengar (Sepahan Esfahan)Hadi Shakouri (Al Arabi, QAT)Hossein Kaebi (Leicester City, ENG)Sheyz Rezaei (Persepolis Tehran)Pejman Nouri (Persepolis Tehran)Morteza Asadi (Saba Battery)

Midfielders:Mehdi Mahdavikia (Eintracht Frankfurt, GER)Milad Meydavoudi (Esteghlal Ahvaz)Ebrahim Sadeghi (Saipa Karaj)Andranik Teymourian (Bolton Wanderers, ENG)Maziar Zare (Malavan Anzali)Iman Mobali (Al Shabab, UAE)Mojataba Jabbari (Esteghlal Tehran)Ali Karimi (Qatar SC, QAT)Masoud Shojaei (Al Sharjah, UAE)Mehrzad Madanchi (Al Shaab, UAE)Alireza Vahedi-Nikbakht (Persepolis Tehran)

Strikers:Mohsen Khalili (Persepolis Tehran)Javad Kazemian (Al Shabab, UAE)Ali Samereh (Al Shaab, UAE)Mehdi Rajabzadeh (Al Emarat, UAE)

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