Iran names 27-man squad in hunt of Asian Cup glory
Iran head coach Amir Qalenoei on Sunday announced the 27-man squad for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup – starting January 12 in Qatar.
AS Roma striker Sardar Azmoun has been named in the squad but could still be Iran’s major absentee in Qatar due to his commitments in the one-year loan contract with the Serie A club.
However, the Iranian Football Federation said it is in talks with the Giallorossi to convince Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho to release the national team’s talisman for the four-week tournament.
All 24 Asian teams will have until Tuesday to announce 26 players for the tournament.
Al Wahda midfielder Ahmad Nourollahi has been ignored for the event after he was axed from the squad for disciplinary reasons during a visit to Tashkent for a World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan in November.
Ali Karimi, playing for Turkish top-flight club Kayserispor, is also absent in the list despite having a regular place in the squad in recent months.
Mahdi Qayedi, whose last international appearance came in the CAFA Nations Cup final against Uzbekistan in June, was rewarded with a surprise spot in the list following an impressive run of late with Farhad Majidi’s Ittihad Kalba in the UAE Pro League.
Iran will play Burkina Faso during a training camp in the Kish Island on Friday before facing Indonesia in a final friendly before the tournament in Qatar.
Chasing a first trophy in the continent’s flagship international event since 1976, the three-time champion Iran will begin its campaign with a game against Palestine in Al Rayyan’s Education City Stadium on Jan. 14.
Iran will take on Hong Kong at the Khalifa International Stadium five days later before playing the United Arab Emirates in the final round of Group B fixtures on Jan. 23.
For Qalenoei – the most decorated coach in the Persian Gulf Pro League history with five titles, who replaced Portuguese Carlos Queiroz on Iran bench last March – the upcoming event will provide the opportunity to accomplish an unfinished mission.
The 60-year-old Iranian has always felt hard done by to see his previous 11-month spell in charge of the national team come to an end following a shootout defeat against South Korea in the 2007 Asian Cup quarterfinals and will be eager to steer his team to the final showpiece, which will be staged at the Lusail Stadium on February 10, this time around.
The following is the full Iranian squad for the AFC Asian Cup:
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Payam Niazmand (Sepahan), Seyyed Hossein Hosseini (Esteghlal)
Defenders: Seyyed Majid Hosseini (Kayserispor), Saman Fallah (Golgohar Sirjan), Hossein Kan’anizadegan (Persepolis), Shoja Khalilzadeh (Tractor), Sadeq Moharami (Dinamo Zagreb), Ramin Rezaeian (Sepahan), Arya Yousefi (Sepahan), Ehsan Hajsafi (AEK Athens), Milad Mohammadi (AEK Athens)
Midfielders: Saeed Ezzatollahi (Vejle BK), Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Omid Ebrahimi (Al Shamal SC), Mohammad-Javad Hosseinnejad (Sepahan), Saman Qoddous (Brentford), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord), Mohammad Mohebbi (FC Rostov), Mahdi Qayedi (Ittihad Kalba), Mahdi Torabi (Persepolis), Ali Qolizadeh (Lech Poznan)
Strikers: Mahdi Taremi (FC Porto), Sardar Azmoun (AS Roma), Reza Asadi (Sepahan), Shahriar Moghanlou (Sepahan), Karim Ansarifard (Omonoia FC).