In the press conference before the Iran - Uzbekistan match within the framework of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, head coach Amir Ghalenoi and player Alireza Jahanbakhsh participated.
"First of all, I would like to welcome the Uzbekistan national team to Tehran. At this point, I want to express my gratitude to the Uzbekistan medical staff, as they helped us a lot during our trip to Tashkent.
Speaking about the Uzbekistan national team, they have made significant progress over the last 10 years, especially at the youth level. High-level players have emerged in Uzbekistan. Several of their players are also playing in the Iranian league.
Our players are ready for tomorrow's match. The Uzbekistan national team plays in a 3-4-3 formation, and they will likely try to punish us mainly through counterattacks. We will take the field to show a good result tomorrow. The statistics from our previous matches against Uzbekistan also indicate that we have performed well. I hope many fans will come to the match tomorrow.
We are playing against a strong national team, so we expect a beautiful game.
The World Cup qualification has not yet been officially decided. We have two more matches waiting for us besides the game against Uzbekistan. We will enter the field with great enthusiasm in every match. The players are ready for the competition in every aspect.
We have gathered world-class players in our squad, and they know the importance of not relaxing. Therefore, we will act cautiously.
In terms of match statistics and history, every game is very important for the national team. For this reason, we cannot substitute our players as we wish. The process of rejuvenating the national team must be carried out gradually. We cannot simply remove some players from the squad, as we do not have players to replace them.
Speaking about Taremi, health is very important for a player. We will make a decision on whether he will participate in tomorrow's match tonight.
Of course, the Iran national team is ranked 16th in the FIFA rankings and is showing its best results in history. All of this is the result of our hard work over the last two years. Despite the difficulties, we are achieving positive results, for example, we defeated Japan in the Asian Cup. We have set even higher goals for ourselves now. We strive for good results in the final stage of the World Cup as well. I hope the Iran Football Federation will create the necessary conditions for us," said Ghalenoi.
The Iran national team does not only mean national players. Every member of the national team does their best. I have been part of the national team for 12 years. Therefore, I and other experienced players are helping the youth to integrate faster. Our head coach also plays an important role in creating a good atmosphere in the team," said Jahanbakhsh.
It should be noted that the Iran - Uzbekistan match will take place tomorrow at the "Ozodi" stadium. The match is scheduled for 21:00.
