Sardar Azmoun, the lethal striker of Iranian football, returned to the national team after meeting with the President of the Football Federation and will don the national jersey once again. This return comes as the 26-man roster of the Iran national team for the FIFA Day in September has just been announced, drawing significant attention due to the absence of some stars, including Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Saman Ghoddos.
New National Team Composition and Controversial Decisions
Amir Ghalenooi, the head coach of the national team, published the final list after days of speculation. This list consists of 2 parts; in the first step, 18 players from the Premier League were called up to the camp, and in the second step, 8 legionnaires were added to the squad. Despite the presence of prominent figures in the U23 team and the Asian Games, Ghalenooi decided to use domestic players to shape the backbone of the team.
Read more: Yasser Asani's Absence from the Albania National Football Team Roster and the Coach's Reaction
In this list, names such as Alireza Beiranvand, Seyed Hossein Hosseini, and Ehsan Hajsafi stand out. However, there are also unexpected absences; Saman Ghoddos missed the camp due to injury, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh was absent due to training at his club, which raised concerns among fans.
Absence of Stars and Presence of Legionnaires
The main shock to the team's attacking phase relates to the bold red line drawn over Mehdi Qayedi's name, one of the most unexpected decisions of this period. Additionally, overlooking Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, who has performed well at Lech Poznań, surprised experts. Instead, Mohammad Mohbi was chosen for the winger position, and in the attack, 4 legionnaire strikers including Denis Drakhov, Mehdi Taremi, Shahab Zahedi, and Sardar Azmoun were called up to the camp.
Shahab Zahedi's invitation after a 3-year absence, thanks to his brilliance at Johor Darul Ta'zim, was one of the exciting surprises of this list. Now, the 26-man caravan of the Iran national team is preparing to engage in their friendly matches.
The national team will head to Fergana on Tuesday, September 31, to play a friendly match against Uzbekistan on Thursday, October 2. After this match, they will go to Kazan to face the Russian national team on Tuesday, October 7. These two heavy matches will test the true caliber of the national team and the controversial decisions of the coaching staff.
Read more: Andranik Timotian Joined Esteghlal and Added to the Coaching Staff · Sardar Azmoun and 8 New Legionnaires in Amir Ghalenooi's Call-up to the National Team
