Karimi versus Nakamura battle royale

AFC - The match between Iran and Japan will be special because it will feature current AFC Player of the Year Ali Karimi versus 2004 Asian Cup?s Best player Shunsuke Nakamura.

Nakamura who plays as the team?s playmaker is 27 years old and plies his trade with Serie A side Reggina. Karimi on the other hand, plays for Al Ahli in UAE and is called the wizard of Persia. He has 80 caps to his name and 31 goals.

The last time both players met was in the group stages of the Asian Cup, China 2004. The match ended in a scoreless draw which Japan later went on to win the title as Asia?s best team.

Will Nakamura with his precision passes and vision lead Japan to victory or Karimi, with his mesmerizing dribbling skills and fast moves get Iran the important win in front of their fanatical 100,000 fans at the Azadi Stadium?

All questions will be answered by coaches Branko Ivankovich and Zico tomorrow.