The Iranian coach's trip is aimed at seeing and analyzing North Korea's matches in South Africa's World Cup which begins on June 11 and ends on July 11.
The Iranian outfit is in Group D of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, competing with World Cup qualifiers North Korea, defending champions Iraq and the UAE.
Iran will hold a training camp in Austria from July 11-24 and play a friendly match against South Korea on September 7th to prepare itself for the Asian tournament.
According to the Iranian boss, the success of the Iranian side in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup depends on its preparation.
“Asian football is on the rise and the difference in standards of teams is getting thinner. There are no clear favorites in our group. I believe, the success of Iran in the competition will depend on our preparation,” Qotbi said following the 2011 Asian Cup draw at the Aspire Dome in the Qatari capital on April 23rd.
“We're giving shape to an extensive training program and want to make steady progress,” the 46-year-old Iranian coach added.
“We've a few talented youngsters in the squad and they need more experience and exposure. We're confident of doing well, but again we need to make the right kind of build-up,” he further explained.
Draw for 2011 Asian Cup:
Group A: Qatar, Kuwait, China, Uzbekistan
Group B: Saudi Arabia, Japan, Jordan, Syria
Group C: South Korea, India, Australia, Bahrain
Group D: Iraq, North Korea, UAE, Iran