Iranian women determined to defy odds in Asian Cup qualifiers
Despite a hampered preparation plan, the Iranian girls have set sights on a successful campaign at the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in Amman, Jordan.
Iran will be joined by the host country, Lebanon, Singapore, and Bhutan in Group A of the qualifiers, where only one place in next March’s finals in Australia will be up for grabs.
The event in the Jordanian capital will be a first major test for new Iran coach Marzieh Ja’fari, who took over from Maryam Azmoun in May, after Team Melli had failed to win a single game in 12 outings across different competitions – suffering eight defeats, while finding the back of the net only twice in the process.
Having led Bam Khatoon to 11 top-flight titles, as well as an impressive last-eight finish at the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League in March, Ja’fari will be looking to build on a decorated career at the Iranian club football, though the 42-year-old faces significant challenges in her new role.
The Iranian girls’ training camp in Tehran was disrupted by the 12-day conflict between the country and Israel, while Ja’fari’s players have only played in a couple of friendly victories over Iraq earlier in the month since the end of the domestic league in March.
Injury setbacks have added to Iran’s problems in recent weeks, as Arefeh Seyyed-Kazemi and Haji Dabbaghi will miss the visit to Amman, with Mona Hamoudi facing a race against time to reach full fitness for the tournament.
Iran will begin its qualification campaign against Singapore on July 10, before facing Bhutan three days later at the at the King Abdullah II Stadium.
Ja’fari’s girls will square off against Lebanon in their penultimate outing and hope to remain in contention with a place in the finals when going head-to-head with Jordan on July 19.
Backed by the home support and familiar with Amman’s seasonal heat, Jordan will be the favorite to advance from the five-team group, though history favors Iran, as a shootout victory over the Jordanians saw Team Melli celebrate a maiden qualification for the 2022 finals.