World Cup Asian qualifiers:
Iran names provisional 21-man squad for double header
Iran head coach Amir Qalenoei announced a provisional 21-man squad for the two fixtures at the World Cup Asian qualifiers.
More players will be added to the list after today’s games in the Persian Gulf Pro League, when Tractor plays Golgohar Sirjan in Tabriz and Esteghlal visits Zob Ahan.
Team Melli will face the United Arab Emirates at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on Thursday – the first day of the new Persian year – before hosting Uzbekistan on March 25.
Iran is top of the Group A table with 16 points – three clear of Uzbekistan and six above the UAE – with four games remaining, and with the top two winning direct qualification, Qalenoei’s men could book their tickets for the 2026 finals in North America by the end of the upcoming international break.
Persepolis striker Ali Alipour has received a first international callup by Qalenoei after bagging 10 top-flight goals, including three in the last four outings, to sit atop the league’s leading marksmen’s chart.
Iralco’s 20-year-old goalkeeper Mohammad Khalifeh, and Malavan center-back Danial Eiri, 21, are the surprise names in Qalenoei’s list.
Despite a run of five wins in six matches – including a 4-1 rout of Asian Cup champion Qatar – Team Melli and Qalenoei have been facing scrutiny from the Iranian fans and pundits due to a series of unconvincing and inconsistent performances throughout the campaign.
The criticism peaked in November, when Iran dominated the first half of the away games against North Korea and the Kyrgyz Republic but still had to survive a late fightback by the minnow oppositions to walk away with hard-fought 3-2 victories.
The following is Iran’s 21-man squad for the games the UAE and Uzbekistan:
Goalkeepers: Payam Niazmand (Sepahan), Mohammad Khalifeh (Iralco)
Defenders: Milad Mohammadi (Persepolis), Omid Nourafkan (Malavan), Ali Ne’mati (Foolad Khuzestan), Danial Eiri (Malavan), Mohammadhossein Kan’anizadegan (Persepolis), Amin Hazbavi (Sepahan), Arya Yousefi (Sepahan)
Midfielders: Saeed Ezzatollahi (Shabab Al Ahli), Mohammad Qorbani (Al Wahda), Mohammad Karimi (Sepahan), Saman Qoddous (Ittihad Kalba), Mohammad-Javad Hosseinnejad (Dinamo Makhachkala), Mohammad Mohebbi (FC Rostov), Mahdi Qayedi (Ittihad Kalba), Ali Qolizadeh (Lech Poznan), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (SC Heerenveen)
Strikers: Mahdi Taremi (Internazionale), Ali Alipour (Persepolis), Sardar Azmoun (Shabab Al Ahli).