FIFA ranking means nothing to Iran against China, says Queiroz

ABU DHABI -- Iran coach Carlos Queiroz on Wednesday disagreed with the comment that Iran are the favorites to face China in the quarterfinals of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

Iran, the Asia's top-ranked team, is bidding to win their first continental title since 1976. The Team Melli advanced into the last eight with a fourth consecutive clean sheet, making them one of the favorites to lift the trophy in the UAE.

China coach Marcello Lippi praised Iran as the best team of Asia due to the FIFA ranking in the pre-match press conference, but Queiroz insisted that the ranking is meaningless in Thursday's clash.

"I'm always proud when I hear words like this from such a great coach, but this match is just like a cup final, they do not have a history, they do not have a past. You can't win or lose games with statistics or rankings."

"We are not favorites, I think there are never favorites in a game like this. We always try to be humble and respectful," the Portuguese coach said.

Iran were defeated by Iraq on penalty shootout in the quarterfinals of 2015 Asian Cup. Queiroz believes that his team has learned the lesson from the previous failure.

"The game against China is a new adventure for us, it will be a tough match and we are going to be more alert. We remember all the lessons and experiences we have learned from the matches we have won or lost. I hope we can use them in tomorrow's match," he said.