Tasnim - Iranian national football team (Team Melli) coach Carlos Queiroz said he will not allow Sardar Azmoun and Alireza Jahanbakhsh to join Iran U-23 team.

Habib Kashani , the manager of Iran U-23 football team had already said these two players can join the team for the AFC U-23 Championship 2016.

“Sardar Azmoun and Alireza Jahanbakhsh are members of Iran national football team. We have to prepare for the World Cup qualifications,” Queiroz told the reporters in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.

“We have a big task ahead of us. I have to say we need these two players and they are not permitted to leave Team Melli since we have Chile and Sweden friendlies ahead of us,” the Portuguese coach added.

Iran is preparing itself to participate in the AFC U-23 Championship 2016, where the team has been drawn in Group C along with Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Palestine, and Afghanistan.

The AFC U-23 Championship 2016 will serve as the Olympic Games qualifiers in every alternate edition.

The top three teams from the 2016 edition will represent Asia at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Iran has not participated in the Olympics since 1976 Montreal.