Iran national under-23 football team

Infobox National football team
Name = Iran Under-23
Badge = IRIFFlogoclear.jpg
FIFA Trigramme = IRI
Nickname = "Team Melli Omid" ("The Hope National Team")
Association = I.R.I.F.F.
Coach = flagicon|CRO Nenad Nikolić
Asst Manager =
Captain = Hossein Kaebi
Most caps =
Top scorer =
pattern_b2=|pattern_b1=_Iranhomenew|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FFFFFF
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_Iranawaynew|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=db232b|body2=db232b|rightarm2=db232b|shorts2=db232b|socks2=db232b
First game =
Largest win = Flagicon|Iran Iran 10 - 0 Afghanistan Flagicon|Afghanistan (Busan, South Korea; September 28, 2002)
Largest loss =
World cup apps = | World cup first =
World cup best =
Regional name = Asian Games (Since 2002)
Regional cup apps = 2
Regional cup first = 2002
Regional cup best = Winners 2002

Iran national under-23 football team (also known as Iran Under-23, Iran U-23 or Iran Olympic Team) represents Iran in international football competitions in Olympic Games and Asian Games, as well as any other under-23 international football tournaments. It is controlled by the IR Iran Football Federation.

History

The winner of the gold medal at the 2002 Asian Games, the team was prepared to defend its championship title at the football tournament of the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. Despite a suspension by FIFA, preventing Iran to enter any international football competition, [cite web|url=http://www.fifa.com/en/media/index/0,1369,126229,00.html|title=FIFA suspends Iran Football Federation |publisher=FIFA|accessdate=2006-11-27] the Iran under-23 team was given special permission to participate in the Asian Games, [cite web|url=http://the-afc.com/english/media/default.asp?mnsection=media&section=newsDetails&newsID=7543|title=FIFA President announces temporary lifting of Iran ban|publisher=the-AFC.com|accessdate=2006-11-27] where they won the bronze medal.

Formation

The team is considered to be the feeder team for the Iran national football team. It is for players aged 23 and less, however 3 senior players can also be selected to play. Also in existence are national teams for Under-20s, Under-17s and Under-15s. As long as they are eligible, players can play at any level, hence it is possible for one to play for the U-23s, senior side and then again for the U-23s, as players such as Andranik Teymourian have done so. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and for another at the senior level, providing the player is eligible. Ferydoon Zandi is a current Iranian international and former German u-21 player.

Managers

*flagicon|Iran Heshmat Mohajerani (1976)
*flagicon|Germany Rudi Gutendorf (1988)
*flagicon|Iran Bijan Zolfagharnasab (1991)
*flagicon|Iran Hamid Derakhshan (1991-1992)
*flagicon|Iran Hassan Habibi (1992-1996)
*flagicon|Iran Bahman Salehnia (1996-1999)
*flagicon|Germany Egon Coordes (1999)
*flagicon|Iran Mehdi Monajati (2000-2002)
*flagicon|Croatia Branko Ivanković (2002)
*flagicon|Iran Mohammad Mayeli Kohan (2003)
*flagicon|Iran Hossein Faraki (2003-2006)
*flagicon|Brazil Renê Simões (2006)
*flagicon|Croatia Vinko Begović (2006-2007)
*flagicon|Croatia Nenad Nikolić (2008-Present)

Players

Current squad

Potential expatriate players

;Goalkeepers:
*flagicon|Germany Daniel Davari, 1. FSV Mainz 05
*flagicon|Netherlands Aghil Etemadi, SC Heerenveen

;Defenders:
*flagicon|Germany Sasan Gohari, Hamburger SV
*flagicon|Germany Shervin Radjabali-Fardi, Hertha Berlin
*flagicon|Sweden Emin Nouri, Östers IF
*flagicon|Sweden Behrang Safari, FC Basel
*flagicon|Chile Alí Manouchehri, Coquimbo Unido

;Midfielders:
*flagicon|Sweden Brwa Nouri, FC Väsby United
*flagicon|Sweden Mani Tourang, IK Sirius Fotboll
*flagicon|Scotland Pedram Ardalany, Partick Thistle F.C.
*flagicon|Japan Aria Jasuru Hasegawa, Yokohama F. Marinos

;Forwards:
*flagicon|Germany Ashkan Dejagah, VfL Wolfsburg
*flagicon|Germany Sebastian Ghasemi-Nobakht, VfB Oldenburg
*flagicon|Germany Navid Mashinchi, Vancouver Whitecaps Residency
*flagicon|Netherlands Reza Ghoochannejhad, SC Heerenveen
*flagicon|Italy Keivan Zarineh, Cisco Roma

Matches

Last Matches

=2006 Asian Games=

=2008 Olympics qualifications=

footballbox|date = February 28, 2007
15:00 IRST
team1 = flagicon|Iran Iran |score = 0 – 0|report= [http://images.the-afc.com/Documents/competitions/fixtures//1890.pdf AFC Summary] |team2 = Australia flagicon|Australia |goals1 =|goals2 = |stadium = Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Balideh (Qatar)

footballbox|date = March 14, 2007
20:30
team1 = fb|Saudi Arabia |score = 1 – 0|report= [http://images.the-afc.com/Documents/competitions/fixtures//1955.pdf AFC Summary] |team2 = Iran flagicon|Iran |goals1 = Al-Salem goal|83|goals2 = |stadium = Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Kwon Jong-Chul (Korea Republic)

footballbox|date = March 28, 2007
17:00 IRST
team1 = flagicon|Iran Iran |score = 0 – 0|report= [http://images.the-afc.com/Documents/competitions/fixtures//2000.pdf AFC Summary] |team2 = Jordan flagicon|Jordan |goals1 = |goals2= |stadium = Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Al-Ghatrifi (Oman)

footballbox|date = April 18, 2007
15:00
team1 = flagicon|Jordan Jordan |score = 0 – 3|report= [http://images.the-afc.com/Documents/competitions/fixtures//2145.pdf AFC Summary] |team2 = Iran flagicon|Iran|goals1 = |goals2= Kaebi goal|37 Amraei goal|81 Oladi goal|86 |stadium = King Abdullah Stadium, Amman
Attendance: 500
Referee: Nema (Iraq)

footballbox|date = May 16, 2007
19:30 AEST
team1 = Australia flagicon|Australia |score = 3–1 |report= [http://images.the-afc.com/Documents/competitions/fixtures//2167.pdf AFC Summary] |team2 = flagicon|Iran Iran|goals1 = Downes goal|2
Bridge goal|43|p
Troisi goal|53|goals2 = Amraei goal|4 |stadium = Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
Attendance: 6,371
Referee: Al Fahdli (Kuwait)

footballbox|date = June 6, 2007
19:00 IRST
team1 = flagicon|Iran Iran |score = 2 – 3|report= [http://images.the-afc.com/Documents/competitions/fixtures//2197.pdf AFC Summary] |team2 = Saudi Arabia flagicon|Saudi Arabia |goals1= Kolahkaj goal|74 Goudarzi goal|75 |goals2 = Al-Hawsawi goal|26 Hazazi goal|72 Al-Ghannam goal|84 |stadium = Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Attendance: 2,100
Referee: Matsumura (Japan)

Honours

* Semi-Finalist 1999 Dunhill Cup, Vietnam
* 1st place in 2002 Asian Games
* 1st place in 2006 VTV-T&T Cup (Spring Cup)
* 3rd place in 2006 Asian Games

Tournament records

Olympic Games record

*Prior to the 1992 Olympic Games campaign, the senior national team played in qualification.

Asian Games record

*Prior to 2002 Asian Games, the senior national team participated in the tournament.

Notes

ee also

*Iran national football team
*Iran national under-20 football team
*Iran national under-17 football team

External links

* [http://www.iriff.ir/en/index.asp Official Website of IR Iran Football Federation]
* [http://www.iransportspress.com/?c=118&a=3623 Interview With Iran U-23 Coach Rene Simoes]