Iran Tops Group E Asian Qualifier Games for World Cup Brazil 2014

 

As FIFA, the international organizer of the World Cup Soccer games, starts its countdown  at 1000 days away from the 2014 Brazil games, Iran tops the Asian qualifier chart in Group E followed by Bahrain, Qatar, and Indonesia in that respect.

When the 1000 days countdown is over, 32 qualifying national teams will meet in Brazil to start the games that will decide who the champion for the next four years will be.

Iranian national team is currently preparing to meet Bahrain on October 11 in Tehran, Azadi Stadium.   

Bahrain’s recent political turmoil may have left little room for World Cup preparations.  So whether the nation will be ready for the games or not remains to be seen.  Especially with the news that some of the main players of the team currently stay in jails because of their opposition to the government and participation in the protests.

Iran moved up three places last Wednesday in the FIFA ranking to 50th place.  But the team has kept its fourth place in Asia after Japan, Australia and South Korea.

The Central Asian country has recently appointed Carlos Queiroz from Portugal to be the Iranian national team coach.  He brings a lot of experience working with Manchester United and Real Madrid besides coaching Portugal national team in the World Cup Soccer games 2010 in South Africa.

In Group E with Bahrain and Qatar following Iran, none are considered easy rivals for Iranian national soccer team as they both have history and experience at the World Cup games and International soccer.

Throughout its history, the Iranian national team has qualified three times to attend the World Cup soccer games. 

Iran’s first début at the games was during the Shah’s rule back in 1978 Argentina after Iran’s national team managed to beat Australia in the qualifying games.

Iran’s second chance at the world soccer championship was in 1998 World Cup in France.  Being in the same group as the United States, their match attracted considerable attention while the two political foes’ national team players offered one another flowers and gifts.   Iran won the game against United States but lost to Germany later and was eliminated from the games.

Iran’s third appearance at the World Cup games was in 2006 Germany soccer games.

FIFA suspended Iran from international soccer games to protest political interference in the Iranian national association which lasted less than a month.