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Carlos Queiroz   Shoja Khalilzadeh   Hossein Kanaanizadegan  

Queiroz

PLDC - Team Melli head coach Carlos Queiroz says the team's preparations "could be better."

Speaking at the outset of the national team's training session in Tehran on Monday, the Portuguese answered to questions of reports for few minutes. 

Asked about the team's preparation, he noted that it is "not moving in the right direction." 

He went on to name the failure of return of Shoja Khalilzadeh and Hossein Kanaanizadegan from Qatar's Al Ahli club as an example, despite the fact that the Qatar's league has been shut down.

He acknowledged that the club has the right to keep their players but said "cannot understand" why players of other nationalities have been released by Qatar except these two players. 

The two players have been among the key defenders of the team in the past few years. 

Queiroz also noted that he is now training with eight players as other European clubs will also release players some one week remaining to the World Cup finals. 

"If I want to describe it in two words I would say it could be better," he said.  

Queiroz's team are set to play Nicaragua in a friendly on November 10 in Tehran as the last preparation game before leaving for Doha. 

Iran have been drawn in Group B of the 2022 FIFA World Cup along with England, the U.S. and Wales.

Carlos Queiroz’s side will start the campaign with a match against England on Nov. 21.

Iran edged Uruguay 1-0 and drew 1-1 with Senegal in late September in a training camp in Austria.