Kosovo has canceled the pre-planned friendly match against Iran and this is the fourth time Team Melli is suffering from a match cancellation as it prepares for the FIFA World Cup Russia.
Initially Iran was due to play Greece on Saturday in Istanbul, but the European side called off the game last week.
According Sport24.gr, the Greek Football Federation claimed the game was canceled due to recent political problems between Greece and Turkey, but said they are ready to play with Iran in Athens. The two sides did not reach an agreement in the end.
The Iranian federation has said it intends to report the Greek FA to FIFA regarding the cancellation, Varzesh3 reported.
“The Iranian Federation will advance with a report to FIFA and take all legal measures, seeking compensation for the damages caused,” it said in a statement. “Until further proceedings by FIFA, the Iranian federation announces the suspension of relations with the Greek Federation.”
Soon after, the Iran Football Federation replaced Greece with Kosovo to face the team on Sunday in Istanbul, where Team Melli is having its final training session before the World Cup.
While Iranians were waiting to meet the not-so-powerful Kosovars, a statement from the Football Federation of Kosovo was released Thursday which said although there were initial agreements with Iran for a friendly on Sunday, but because the Iran Football Federation later called for a match without spectators, they are not willing to participate in the game.
The first team which cancelled its friendly against Iran was Libya. The game was set for March 17 but the North African nation called off the match due to domestic problems including not having a head coach.
On May 11, Iran was set to face Syria but that game was also cancelled and the reason given was that the war-torn Arab state did not have enough players in the national squad.
Seven Friendlies
So far, Iran’s national team has played five friendly matches officially set in the calendar of FIFA website. Iran has won over Sierra Leone 4-0, beaten Algeria 2-1, overpowered Uzbekistan 1-0, lost to Tunisia 1-0 and was defeated by Turkey 2-1.
Team Melli has also played Russia, which ended 1-1 and won Togo 2-0.
Iran’s last game before the World Cup will be in Moscow against Lithuania on June 8. As Team Melli manager Carlos Queiroz has announced, the game will not be open to the public.
In the tally for World Cup qualification, Iran had an unbeaten march as the second team to qualify after Brazil.
The national team will face Morocco in its World Cup Group B opener on June 15 before playing Spain and Portugal.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco are World Cup, European Cup and African Nation’s Cup winners respectively.
Iranian football fans plus the team’s coach and players are hopeful that Team Melli has an acceptable and maybe surprising performance in the upcoming tournament and qualifies for the first time from the group stage in Iran’s history of presence in the World Cup.
