Queiroz names Team Melli squad for Thailand

Persianfootball.com – TEHRAN, Iran boss Carlos Queiroz named a 27-man squad, which includes quite some surprises, for the upcoming Asian Cup qualifier versus Thailand in Tehran on October 15.

The Portuguese has just returned to Tehran from his vacation which he had extended until the Iranian football federation had solved all financial issues around the national team and the coaching staff.

With all issues at least temporarily cleared, Queiroz now announced his first squad since the successful World Cup qualification in June.

The list, which has the key players of Esteghlal, Persepolis and Sepahan as major backbone, includes most Team Melli regulars of the World Cup qualifying campaign, but also some possible debutant and a high number of legionnaires.

Surprising might be the call-ups of the so far uncapped foreign based teenagers Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Sardar Azmoun. Also the so far uncapped Bundesliga goalkeeper Daniel Davari and MLS rightback Steven Beitashour.

Reportedly Davari won’t be able to join due to fitness problems while it is unclear if Beitashour would accept an invitation to Iran’s national team.

Also Fulham’s Dejagah might still have to turn down the call due to a calf injury.

Somewhat unexpected was the addition of Mojtaba Jabbari, as the veteran playmaker barely has played this season following a rift with Sepahan coach Kranjcar and just recently joined Qatar’s Al Ahli, and current Sepahan reserve winger Yaghoub Karimi.

Instead the young in-form playmakers Bakhtiar Rahmani of league leaders Foolad and Payam Sadeghian of Persepolis have been ignored.

Further notable is the return of striker Karim Ansarifard.

Below comes the full squad list.

Goalkeepers:
Rahman Ahmadi (Sepahan Esfahan)
Hamed Lak (Tractor Sazi Tabriz)
Daniel Davari (Eintracht Braunschweig, GER)

Defenders:
Khosro Heydari (Esteghlal Tehran)
Hossein Mahini (Persepolis Tehran)
Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes, USA)
Mohammad-Reza Khanzadeh (Persepolis Tehran)
Pejman Montazeri (Esteghlal Tehran)
Jalal Hosseini (Persepolis Tehran)
Amir-Hossein Sadeghi (Esteghlal Tehran)
Shoja Khalilzadeh (Sepahan Esfahan)
Mehrdad Pouladi (Persepolis Tehran)
Hashem Beikzadeh (Esteghlal Tehran)

Midfielders:
Javad Nekounam (Esteghlal Tehran)
Andranik Teymourian (Esteghlal Tehran)
Omid Ebrahimi (Sepahan Esfahan)
Ehsan Hajsafi (Sepahan Esfahan)
Mohammad Nouri (Persepolis Tehran)
Mojtaba Jabbari (Al Ahli, QAT)

Strikers:
Ashkan Dejagah (Fulham FC, ENG)
Alireza Jahanbakhsh (NEC Nijmegen, NED)
Reza Ghoochannejhad (Standard Liege, BEL)
Karim Ansarifard (Tractor Sazi)
Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan, RUS)
Masoud Shojaei (Las Palmas, ESP)
Mohammad-Reza Khalatbari (Persepolis Tehran)
Yaghoub Karimi (Sepahan Esfahan)