Iran training camp in South Africa cancelled
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Loading...Tehran Times – TEHRAN, The Iranian national football team’s training camp in South Africa has been cancelled, coach Carlos Queiroz said on Wednesday.
The training camp was scheduled to open on April 11 in the African country.
“The training camp has been cancelled since our key players cannot participate in the camp. More than four players are playing in the Arab leagues,” Queiroz said.
“I met Mr. (Ali) Kaffashian (the president of the Iran Football Federation) and was forced to revise our arrangements. There is no reason to hold a training camp without your key players. We are going to hold a camp starting on May 18,” he added.
“Holding the camp without financial support is not logical. Of course, it could be harmful to our players. After we qualified for the World Cup, an internal voice told me we can make the Iranian people proud, but we are in danger now because we need support,” he stated.
“Over the past 32 months that I’ve been here as Iran football coach, I always tried to do my best and keep the team fully prepared. I sometimes even worked without pay, but you are not able to keep going without your key players,” the Portuguese added.
“I have to call my friends (Sir Alex) Ferguson, (Jose) Mourinho, and (Fabio) Capello to get advice for better decisions because I am not magician,” the former Real Madrid coach said.
In the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Iran is in Group F along with Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Nigeria.
