AFC: Wilmots’ First Sight
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Loading...AFC – TEHRAN, Four months after the end of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, national teams from across Asia are making personnel changes both on the pitch and in the dugout. The-AFC.com looks at how Team Melli is approaching this international break.
A new era is underway in Tehran after Carlos Queiroz’s eight-year spell in charge of Team Melli ended with a disappointing AFC Asian Cup semi-final exit at the hands of Japan.
Taking over is former Belgium and Cote d’Ivoire boss Marc Wilmots. Having officially joined only on June 1, the 50-year-old is unlikely to have had the time to make squad selections. Instead, Wilmots has enlisted the services of former Iranian international forward Vahid Hashemian as his assistant.
For his first match, the Belgian has a squad largely based on the last one picked by his predecessor. Iran will face Syrian in Tehran’s Azadi stadium. Persepolis’ Ali Alipour has been brought in for the injured Sardar Azmoun.
Islamic Republic of Iran last faced Syria in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, back in September 2017. The game at Azadi Stadium ended in a 2-2 draw, with the absent Azmoun netting both goals for Team Melli.
Five days after later, Team Melli will fly to Seoul to face South Korea on June 11th.
