U23: Iran used ineligible player in first leg [VIDEO]

PFDC – TEHRAN, Alireza Mansourian explained his team’s lacklustre performance in the Olympic qualifier today by pointing out he and the team had been informed prior to the match that the first leg would be ruled 3-0 in favour of Iraq because Iran had fielded a suspended player.

Iran’s U23 had won the first leg against Iraq in Olympic qualification round 2 1-0 in Arbil thanks to a Mohsen Mosalman strike, but lost the second leg 0-2 in Tehran after a disappointing performance and crashed out of the competition.

Coach Mansourian said in the post match conference that the Iranian football federation (IFF) had been informed months ago that midfielder Kamal Kamyabinia would be ineligble to play in Iraq after collecting two yellow cards in the two matches against Kyrgyzstan in the previous round, however, that the IFF had failed to communicate this to the new coaching staff.

Mansourian had brought on Kamyabinia in the very last minute of the first leg.

Today at 11:30 he and the team were informed about the mistake and the sanction, which put Iran in almost hopeless position and, according to Mansourian, completely broke the team’s morale.