Team Melli looking to play Uruguay in friendly [Report]

Mehr News – TEHRAN, The Iranian national men’s football team will likely hold a friendly match against the team of Uruguay in preparation for the World Cup, the Iran football federation said, after plans to play Paraguay were called off.

The preparatory friendly matches of the Iranian national football team for the Qatar World Cup were influenced by the decisions of the Canadian Football Federation and the Government of the country, who canceled a previously announced game with Iran.

Iran was scheduled to play Canada on June 5 in Vancouver and then play Ecuador, but that match was canceled. Next, the Iranian football federation wanted to hold a friendly against Senegal at Tehran Azadi Stadium, which was canceled due to the busy schedule of the African team.

Then it was said that the Iranian national team might compete with teams from the African continent and even Paraguay, but apparently, these plans have also been called off and now it has been announced that the football federation has decided to plan for a friendly match with the Uruguayan team instead of Paraguay.

Hassan Kamranifar, the secretary-general of the federation, said today in an interview with the national Iranian TV,  said, “We are moving forward planning to play against Uruguay, which is ranked 13th in the world ranking by FIFA. Things are finalizing.”

Kamranifard said that one of Uruguay’s games had been canceled, adding that Uruguay was going to play a friendly against Mexico and another team. “We are going to play Uruguay in Montevideo and we are looking for a replacement. First, the Canadian match was chosen because they play similarly to the US team but now we are going the other way. We are coordinating another game. Our national team will go to Qatar in two or three days and will leave Qatar for Uruguay. We are preparing for it.”

“We will play against Uruguay on June 11th or 12th. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ministry of sports are beside the Football Federation. We must prepare the team in the best way possible. When planning is done and there is an interruption in our plans, we need to plan again immediately.”