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ASIANCUP2004 – Third place may seem scant reward for a nation that has won the Asian Cup on three occasions but Iran coach Branko Ivankovic was beaming after watching his team beat Bahrain 4-2 to end the tournament on a high note.
Iran have not had the happiest three weeks in China with player suspensions and diverted flights providing some unwelcome distractions, but two goals from Ali Daei and one each for Ali Karimi and Javad Nekounam put a smile back on the face of the likeable Croat.
“I am really happy,” said Ivankovic. “I am really satisfied because playing for third place is always a difficult game but my players really did a good job today.
“Bahrain are a tough side and they have showed excellent form throughout this tournament so it was always going to be difficult. But we can now go home happy.”
Iran’s path to the penultimate match of China 2004 has been paved with difficulties, some of them self-inflicted.
Ivankovic was denied the services of three regulars for crucial games following some unseemly behaviour in the Group D game against Oman, which was punished by tournament organisers.
Mohammad Nosrati was banned for four games and took no further part in the tournament after stamping on Oman’s Emad Ali.
Rahman Rezaei and Ali Badavi were also slapped with bans, for two games each, after a furious exchange between the players, also in the Oman encounter. Both were unavailable for the final group game, against Japan, and the quarter-final win over Korea Republic.
To make matters worse, the Asain Football Confederation (AFC) on Friday handed a six-month ban to Ebrahim Taghipour for incidents relating to Zob Ahan’s 2-0 loss to Pakhtakor in an AFC Champions League match in Tashkent back in May
Iran have also found it hard to keep all 11 players on the pitch. Sattar Zare saw red three minutes into the second half of the semi-final against China and in the game against Bahrain, Arash Borhani was given his marching orders to be followed late on by 2003 AFC Player of the Year Mehdi Mahdavikia.
“This has not been an easy time for us,” admitted Ivankovic. “The road has been very tough for us and we have had some set-backs which unsettled the players, but they are professional and are proud to play for Iran, so they got on with their task and brought some glory.”
It has not been all gloom and doom for Iran, who finished in third place in the Asian Cup for the fourth time.
Attacking midfielder Ali Karimi has shone throughout the tournament, scoring five of his side’s goals and setting up countless others.
His industry, strength and deft touches have caught the eye in the past three weeks, making the Al Ahli player, who has won three Siemens mobile Man of the Match during the tournament, a leading candidate for the player of the tournament.
“I think that he is the most talented player we have seen in the tournament,” Ivankovic said of the 25-year-old.
“I think he could easily play in Europe if he wanted to because he has played excellently in all our games and has show real quality in all aspects of his game. His performances have changed the games for us.”
Iranians will be hoping that Karimi maintains this form for the crucial World Cup qualifier in September against Jordan, a must-win game for Ivankovic, assuming he is still with Iran.
The Croat has confirmed publicly that he might not be in charge of the team by September. His contract is up at in September and he told reporters he is contemplating a move into club football.
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