Iran Manager Warns England Ahead of World Cup Opener

Date: 03 April 2022 - 21:18

News ID: ۱۰۱۱۹۱

TEHRAN - Iran boss Dragan Skocic has warned Gareth Southgate, English Football Manager: “I know we can beat you.”

The Croatian, who will take inspiration from his homeland’s World Cup semifinal win over England in 2018, has told his players they will not be in the squad for Qatar if they do not believe it, too.

Asia’s leading team will meet Southgate’s Three Lions for the first time in the second game of this winter’s World Cup, at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Skocic insists: “There is no reason we should not think we can beat England. Why not?”

“Remember, I am Croatian, so I know we can beat England,” he stated.

“People might look at the game and say Iran beating England would be one of the greatest shocks in the history of the World Cup. OK. They can think that. But football is unpredictable,” he said.

“We are not playing 15 games, we are playing one game. And anything can happen in one game,” he noted.

Iran are ranked 21st by FIFA, 16 places below England, and their squad includes ex-Brighton man Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Porto’s Mehdi Taremi.

Skocic added: “Maybe we’d have preferred not to play England in the first game but it is what it is.”

“We are ready to play any time, any team,” he said.

“Of course they believe they can beat England and qualify. They must believe it. Because I believe it and I have already transferred this to the players. So they must believe it. And if they don’t believe it, they are not for this level of the sport,” he added.

Skocic suggested Iran’s desire is to make a point on behalf of their countrymen in a group that also sees the ‘mother of all battles’ against the U.S.

He stated: “Sometimes in Europe, the Asian teams are under-appreciated.”

Jahanbakhsh: Iran Ready to Cause Surprise in World Cup

Iran national football team captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh says England was the “last team” he wanted to be paired with at the 2022 World Cup but vowed his nation will be ready to cause a surprise in Qatar.

Jahanbakhsh, who spent three seasons at Brighton before leaving for Feyenoord last summer, admits the group will be “difficult” but says Iran will arrive at the tournament prepared.

When asked whether he wanted to be paired with Gareth Southgate’s side, he told Sky Sports News: “Not really, to be honest! England was the last team I would have picked, but it happened!

“England could easily have three top teams in the World Cup right now, it’s really well organized with the manager. The team has worked together for a long time now and it knows its strategy.

“Obviously USA is a strong side, it has a good generation now and most of its players are playing in Europe. And we still have to wait for the third team but we need to respect Scotland, Wales and Ukraine a lot. I don’t know a lot about Ukraine but the other two teams have made a lot of steps.

“It’s going to be very difficult to be honest but we’re going to be ready for it, prepared for it and we’re going to make our nation proud.”

Iran, who has never before faced England, is ranked 21st in the world, having topped the Asian qualification groups for the last two World Cup events.

And Jahanbakhsh says those participants who are used to warm winter weather will be better suited to the conditions in Qatar.

“On one side it will be a very unique World Cup,” he added. “It will be in the winter, for the first time it will be in the Middle East.” A lot of people will come together from different countries, cold countries and going to Qatar will make a big difference.

The FIFA World Cup draw was announced on Friday in Doha, Qatar. Iran will be in a group with England, the US and the European playoff winner in the 2022 Qatar World Cup competitions. The final member of Group B will be a either Wales, Ukraine or Scotland.