Iran names 25-man squad for CAFA Nations Cup
Iran head coach Amir Qalenoei named 25 players for the CAFA Nations Cup in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Central Asian sides Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will be joined by guest team Oman in the inaugural tournament – starting today in Bishkek.
Iran is drawn alongside Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan in Group A of the event.
Qalenoei’s men will get their campaign underway against Afghanistan in Bishkek’s Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on Tuesday before taking on the cohost three days later.
The winner of the group will play the top team of the other group for the ultimate prize at the Milliy Stadium in Tashkent on June 20.
Mehdi Qayedi received a first international call-up by Qalenoei – who replaced Portuguese Carlos Queiroz after last winter’s World Cup in Qatar – following an impressive season with Persian Gulf Pro League giant Esteghlal, but his teammate Seyed Hossein Hosseini has been omitted for the trip to Bishkek.
Sepahan striker Shahriyar Moghanlou – the leading marksman in the recently-finished Iranian top flight with 13 goals – has also been left out of the squad despite being part of the team in March’s friendlies against Russia and Kenya – making way for Tractor frontman Morteza Asadi and Shahab Zahedi, who plays for Hungarian club Puskas Akademia.
Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun has also been named in the list after missing the games in March, while Ali Qolizadeh, Ahmad Nourollahi and Shoja Khalilzadeh will be Iranian absentees at the CAFA Nations Cup due to injury.
The tournament will be part of Iran’s preparation for next January’s AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, where Team Melli will be chasing a first trophy since 1976.
The following is Iran’s full squad for CAFA Nations Cup.
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Payam Niazmand (Sepahan), Hossein Pourhamidi (Aluminium Arak)
Defenders: Ehsan Hajsafi (AEK Athens), Morteza Pouraliganji (Persepolis), Majid Hosseini (Kayserispor), Hossein Kan’anizadegan (Al Ahli), Sadeq Moharami (Dinamo Zagreb), Ramin Rezaeian (Sepahan), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis)
Midfielders: Saeed Ezzatollahi (Vejle BK), Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Mohammad Karimi (Sepahan), Omid Nourafkan (Sepahan), Saeed Mehri (Esteghlal), Alireza Alizadeh (Golgohar Sirjan), Mehdi Torabi (Persepolis), Mehdi Qayedi (Esteghlal), Mohammad Mohebbi (Esteghlal), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord), Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (Charleroi)
Strikers: Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen), Mehdi Taremi (Porto), Reza Asadi (Tractor), Shahab Zahedi (Puskas Akademia).