SPORTS> Teams
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SPORTS> Teams
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Iran (Group C)
Updated: 2007-07-07 20:34 For so long the most successful nation in the history of the AFC Asian Cup, Iran's record as the country with the most titles to its name will once again come under threat this summer.
Three Asian Cup wins in the 1960s and 70s marked Iran out as the preeminent power of the regional game, but a failure to add to those in the interim has seen the Iranians lose their sole claim to being Asia's finest footballing nation. Saudi Arabia and Japan now share top spot with Iran in the ranking list, with all three having a hat-trick of Asian Cup titles to their name and while the Iranians have gone a long way towards restoring their reputation over the last decade, they are still lacking the all-important piece of silverware that will cement their reputation. Iran's last Asian Cup win came in 1976, two years before the country qualified for the FIFA World Cup in Argentina, but since then continental success has been lacking, although there have been mitigating circumstances. This year, though, the Iranians are confident they can add a fourth AFC Asian Cup to their Tehran trophy cabinet and once again they have the individual talent required to launch a championship challenge. The Iranians proved their quality by topping Group B of the qualifying competition, finishing above Korea Republic as the pair reached the finals ahead of Syria and Chinese Taipei. Indeed, if there is a potential weak link in the Iranian armour, it is Ghalenoei's lack of international experience as a coach but with the usual impressive array of talent on show, Iran will be hoping to finally end over a decade of near misses. Goalkeepers |
