“It’s not the time to talk about the appointment of the new coach. Team Melli is not in good condition and Skocic cannot succeed without the support from players, media, and fans of Iranian football,” Jahanbakhsh told Mehr News Agency on Saturday.
The Croatian Skocic took the reins at Iran in February after parting company with Iranian top-flight team Sanat Naft. He replaced Belgian Marc Wilmots who had failed to obtain good results and had problems with the Iranian federation regarding payment issues. Skocic’s appointment had brought some backlash as some fans and experts believed that he may not be capable of managing Team Melli as he has no experience in national teams. Meanwhile, others believe that his experience as a coach in an Iranian club and his familiarity with the country can lead to his success.
“I have met him just once but I think his familiarity with Iranian football will come to his help,” Jahanbakhsh added.
“I believe all players will show support for Mr. Skocic. A young and energetic generation is now in Team Melli. We have the best players regarding their capabilities and talents.”
Iran is third in Group C, five points behind Iraq and must have to win their four matches to qualify for the 2022 World Cup qualification next stage.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), in consultation with FIFA, has announced the proposed match dates for the remaining matches of Round 2 in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Asian Qualifiers after the competitions were canceled due to coronavirus.
Matchdays 7 and 8 are now scheduled to take place on October 8 and 13, respectively while Matchdays 9 and 10 are due to kick off on November 12 and 17.
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