Team profile: Iran
The three time Asian Champions have had to carry the burden of their country’s international political disputes in preparation for the World Cup. With Ali Karami “the Persian Maradona” pulling the strings ‘Team Meli’ might just be able to navigate their way out of a tricky group.
FIFA Ranking: 23
Coach: Branko Ivankovic
Key players: Ali Daei, Mohammad Nosrati, Vahid Hashemian
World Cup record: Third appearance
Best finish: First round 1978, 1998
Last appearance: First round 1998
Qualifying route: Second in Asian Group B.
Key question: The side have had more than their share of hurdles to jump in preparation due to political reasons, can they put it all behind them and become a competitive force?
Squad:
Goalkeepers | # |
Ebrahim Mirzapour | 1 |
Hassan Roudbarian | 12 |
Vahid Talebloo | 22 |
Defenders | |
Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh | 3 |
Yahya Golmohammadi | 4 |
Rahman Rezaei | 5 |
Hossein Kaabi | 13 |
Sattar Zare | 18 |
Amir Hossein Sadeqi | 19 |
Mohammad Nosrati | 20 |
Midfielders | |
Mehdi Mahdavikia | 2 |
Javad Nekounam | 6 |
Fereydoon Zandi | 7 |
Ali Karimi | 8 |
Anderanik Teymourian | 14 |
Mehrzad Madanchi | 21 |
Masoud Shojaei | 23 |
Forwards | |
Vahid Hashemian | 9 |
Ali Daei | 10 |
Rasoul Khatibi | 11 |
Arash Borhani | 15 |
Reza Enayati | 16 |
Javad Kazemian | 17 |
Group matches:
v Mexico, 16:00 GMT, Sunday 11th June – Nuremberg
v Portugal, 13:00 GMT, Saturday 17th June – Frankfurt
v Angola, 14:00 GMT, Wednesday 21st June – Leipzig