I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 28, 2019 SPORTS 15

Andrea Stramaccioni Iranian mountaineer killed in avalanche in

SPORTS TEHRAN – An Iranian mountaineer has no longer Esteghlal coach deskbeen killed after an avalanche in Tochal, north of the Iranian capital of Tehran. SPORTS TEHRAN – Italian Alaeddin Jamali, 63, was involved in an avalanche deskcoach Andrea Stramac- around 11 a.m. and was killed. cioni is no longer the coach of Esteghlal foot- Meteorological Organization had warned the ball team, the Iranian club said in a statement. mountaineers about unstable weather conditions. Stramaccioni left the Iranian popular football team on Dec. 8 after the club failed to transfer his salary over the U.S. sanctions. Friendly: Iran U23 team to Due to such problems, Esteghlal had face been forced to transfer his wage through multiple bank accounts, belonging to sev- SPORTS TEHRAN – Iran U23 football team will eral individuals in Europe. This reportedly deskmeet Qatar in a warm-up game in ’s led to the partial closure of Stramaccioni’s Olympic Stadium on Saturday. bank account in Italy over money laun- The Iranian team will then travel to Thailand to take dering charges. part at the AFC U23 Championship 2020. The Italian coach received part of his On November 22, Iran lost to Qatar 2-1 in a friendly unpaid salary after the representative of match held in Doha’s Lusail. an Iranian bank gave him a check at Iran’s Iran are in Group C of Thailand 2020 alongside China Embassy in Rome, but he didn’t return to PR as well as South Korea and the defending champions Tehran and wasted the time. Uzbekistan. The Italian coach had set 11 conditions ’s team will kick-off the campaign with for Esteghlal, “one of which was to receive a match against Uzbekistan on Jan. 9 at the Tinsulanon his full salary for the season upfront». Stadium in Songkhla. “The conditions set by Stramaccioni Iran will play South Korea and China respectively on are virtually impossible to be realised,» Jan. 12 and 15. the club said. Thailand 2020 also serves as qualification to the Tokyo On Thursday, Esteghlal announced that 2020 Olympics, where the top three teams, aside from they’ve ended their relationship with Stra- host nation Japan, will represent Asia. maccioni after six months. Under stewardship of Stramaccioni, Es- teghlal had moved up top of the table after about four years but the team have earned Zob Ahan eye Dragan Skocic four points from the past three matches, leaving the Blues in the third place. IRNA — Iran’s Zob Ahan football club have set sight on Esteghlal have a busy schedule in the hiring Sanat Naft coach Dragan Skocic. coming months since the Blues have to play The Isfahan-based football team had been previously in AFC Champions League play-offs as well will be reportedly named Last season, Majidi replaced Winfried Now, he is an option to replace the linked with Mansour Ebrahimzadeh and Mehdi Tartar as Hazfi Cup and Iran league. as new head coach of Esteghlal football team. Schaefer as Esteghlal head coach in April. Italian coach. but they have reportedly negotiated with the 51-year-old Croatian coach. Zob Ahan parted company with Iranian woman Khajavi sets new record Persepolis move provisionally last week following poor results. for not conceding a goal top of IPL The team sit 11th in the Iran Professional League, nine points above the relegation zone. Skocic has already worked as coach in Iranian teams Malavan, Foolad and Khooneh be Khooneh.

Iran’s linked with Hertha Berlin, Sassuolo

Trabzonspor Iranian defender Majid Hosseini has been linked with a move to Bundesliga and Serie A teams. According to Turkish site Gunes.com, the Iran inter- national has received offers from the German and Italian teams for the winter transfer windows. Bundesliga team Hertha Berlin and Serie A Sassuolo are ready to pay Hosseini €2.5 million transfer fee. The 22-year-old defender joined the Turkish club on a three-year contract in July 2018. SPORTS TEHRAN — Vochan The Nahavand born goalie, also is a SPORTS TEHRAN — A 1-0 win der pressure and made several goalscoring (Source: Gunes.com) deskKordestan goalkeeper member of Iran’s women’s football team. deskover Nassaji sent Perse- chances but Persepolis goalkeeper Bozidar Zahra Khajavi set a new record in Iran foot- “Bayern Munich and Germany goal- polis football team provisionally top of the Radosevic produced spectacular saves. ball for minutes without conceding a goal. keeper Manuel Neuer is my idol and Ira- Iran Professional League (IPL) on Friday. Persepolis were forced to play with nine She extended her team shut-out run to nian keepers , Mehdi In the match held in Tehran’s Azadi players in the final minutes of the match after Iran to play Oman in friendly 950 minutes, surpassing Sepahan stopper Rahmati and Payam Niazmand are my Stadium, was on target with substitute suffered a foot injury. Payam Niazmand’s old mark of 935. role models. I dream of playing abroad,” a header in the 34th minute. Persepolis moved top of the table with Vochan Kordestan had kept 10 clean Khajavi said. Persepolis were reduced to 10 men in 34 points. TASNIM — Iran national football team will play Oman sheets but lost to Shahrdari Bam 3-2 on The two teams Shahrdari Bam and Vo- the 58th after Farhad Rabikhah received Sepahan will meet Sanat Naft on Sat- in a friendly match as part of preparation for the 2022 Friday. Her record was broken in the chan Kordestan have equal records with his second yellow card. urday and will move top of the table if FIFA World Cup qualification. 49th minute. 11 wins and 33 points respectively. Shortly after, Nassaji put the hosts un- win the match. The match has been scheduled for May in Tehran. Iran will have four must-win matches in late March and early June. Team Melli will entertain Hong Kong on March 26 in We can show we’re Asia’s best, insists Korea Republic’s Lee Tehran and will meet Cambodia five days later in an away Lee Dong-gyeong believes that the AFC U23 Championship work on our own strengths and weaknesses, I believe we can match. Thailand 2020 provides the perfect opportunity for Korea prove we are the better team, so my priority is to focus on us. Iran will face Bahrain and Iraq on June 4 and 9 in Tehran. Republic to prove they are the best team on the Continent. “I was able to finish top scorer in qualifying because of Oman will also take on India and Afghanistan on March The East Asians have been one of the strongest teams my teammates, who always give 100 percent and, with a 26 and 31. in the competition over the years, finishing runners-up in little bit of luck too, I achieved something special. 2016 and reaching the semi-finals in 2014 and 2018 but, “If we can maintain the same level of concentration and despite always finishing in the top four sides, they have dedication that we did in the qualifiers, I’m sure we can yet to lift the title. make something special happen.” Uzbekistan on target again Korea Republic will again begin the tournament as one of In what has been a breakout year for Lee, he has had the favorites to be crowned champions and Ulsan Hyundai his fair share of ups and downs. He made his debut for the as Thailand 2020 looms midfielder Lee is desperate for his country to claim a trophy senior national team in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 that has so far eluded them. and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 joint qualifiers against Sri Uzbekistan continued their encouraging pre-AFC U23 “It’s a huge opportunity for me and my teammates, and Lanka in October, but would suffer disappointment on the Championship form, earning a 3-1 win over Iraq in the it gives me a special feeling to represent my country at in- domestic scene. on Wednesday. ternational tournaments,” said Lee. Ulsan fought it out with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors until Sherzhod Nasrullaev, Mirjakhon Mirakhmadov and “We have put in a lot of work to prepare and it is one the final day of the K League season when, after needing Khojiakbar Alijonov were all on the scoresheet for Ljubinko of the main tournaments Korean fans are looking forward just a point to secure the title, his side slipped up at home to Drulovic’s charges, while Munthader Sattar found the net to next year. Pohang Steelers as the Jeonju club were crowned champions. for Iraq. “All the teams from around Asia will showcase their against Australia that ensured Korea finished on top of the “Playing for the senior team was always my dream since Uzbekistan’s win follows an earlier 4-2 victory over talents [at the AFC U23 Championship], so it gives us the standings after he had earlier scored a hat-trick against I started playing football and I’ve already learnt a lot from Iraq, as well as a 4-0 success against local club outfit Al chance to prove we are the best team in Asia. Chinese Taipei and a brace against Cambodia. being around the best players in Korea,” added Lee. Arabi, as the Central Asian side prepare to defend their “We definitely want to win the trophy and we will do Korea have been paired in Group C in Thailand along- “They gave me a lot of advice and told me to believe in Asian title in Thailand next month. whatever we can to achieve that. We are all looking forward side China PR, who they open their campaign against in myself, and training alongside those players has been such Three of the game’s four goals came in a frantic period to it and I’ll try my best to make the Korean fans proud.” Songkhla on January 9, as well as the Islamic Republic of a valuable experience. just prior to half-time, with Nasrullaev opening the scoring The young Taeguk Warriors topped a qualifying group Iran and the defending champions Uzbekistan, who elim- “I also learnt a lot with Ulsan this year. We performed with a close-range header in the 41st minute before Mira- comprising Cambodia, Chinese Taipei and Australia in inated them in 2018. well and did our very best, but Jeonbuk are also a great team. khmadov found space behind the defense to roll home a Phnom Penh in March, with Lee finding the back of the “We will not underestimate any of our opponents but I “I believe we showed it’s possible to become champions in second goal three minutes later. net in all three games and finishing as his country’s top would rather focus on what we can do rather than the teams the coming years, and what happened this year will bring the Sattar found the net after a goalmouth scramble to re- scorer on six goals. we’re up against,” said Lee. whole team together and desperate to do better next year.” duce the deficit to one in first-half stoppage time, but FC Indeed, it was the 22-year-old’s equalizer in a 2-2 draw “China, Iran and Uzbekistan all have qualities, but if we (Source: the-afc) Pakhtakor full-back Alijonov sealed the win with three minutes remaining in the second half, cutting inside a defender before sliding the ball home from 12 yards to make it 3-1. Turkmenistan hold Qatar in friendly AFC U23 Champions in China PR in 2018, Uzbekistan’s Qatar’s U23 side played out a 2-2 draw Bayov giving his side the lead in the Qatar, who defeated Turkmenistan 2016 champions Japan, Saudi Arabia Thailand 2020 campaign begins against Islamic Republic against Turkmenistan in a friendly at Al 21st minute. thanks to an Akram Afif double in their and in Group B of the AFC U23 of Iran in Songkhla on January 9, a day after Iraq begin Arabi Stadium in Doha on Wednesday. Qatar, however, drew level four min- previous encounter during the 2018 AFC Championship Thailand 2020. their tournament against Australia in Pathum Thani. Turkmenistan took a 2-1 lead going utes later through Nasser Al Yazidi’s U23 Qualifiers two years ago, levelled Qatar will open their campaign against In addition to the Asian title, the 16 teams in the com- into the break before Qatar recovered effort but Ahmet Agamyradov’s men the score in the closing stages of the Syria on January 9 before facing Saudi petition will be competing for a ticket to next year’s Tokyo with a late goal to earn the draw. restored their lead a minute before half- game through Khalid Muneer Mazeed. Arabia three days later and Japan on 2020 Olympic football tournament, with the top three Turkmenistan had the better start time through Begench Akmammedov’s Qatar, who finished third in the last January 15. finishers to join hosts Japan among the qualifiers. with Altyn Asyr midfielder Begmyrat strike. edition in China, are placed alongside (Source: Qatar Football Association) (Source: the-afc)