Queiroz: We are fully excited and ready for the match against Morocco

The head coach of the Iranian national football team states that the team is "fully ready" for the match against Morocco and acknowledges the experience and popularity of the players from other teams in their group, but insists that it is unacceptable to say that Iran lacks the "power to win." Carlos Queiroz made these remarks at a press conference organized by FIFA ahead of the match between Iran and Morocco during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Iran is grouped with Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, which is referred to as the "group of death" due to the presence of two strong European teams. However, according to Queiroz, the Iranian team "enjoys the pressure" of the World Cup and is "fully excited and ready" for the match against Morocco. He described Morocco as a good team and added that although "nothing will be decided in the first match," experience tells him that the match against Morocco "must end in victory." In response to a question about the change of Spain's coach on the eve of the World Cup, he stated that "if I change my words towards Spain and speak against Morocco, my words will be incorrect." He acknowledged that the experience of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco is historically superior to Iran's, as their players play in the best European teams and enjoy high popularity. He stated, "We will not tolerate being told that we lack the power to win." Regarding the impact of U.S. sanctions on the performance of Iranian players due to issues in preparing their clothing and shoes, he said, "Sanctions exist. However, in the past seven or eight years that I have led the Iranian national football team, we have not allowed this issue to be used as an excuse for our failures." The last training session of the Iranian national football team before the match against Morocco was held before the match. The American company Nike officially confirmed on June 11 that due to U.S. sanctions, it cannot supply shoes to the members of the Iranian national football team. Five days before this statement, Carlos Queiroz criticized Nike's actions and asked FIFA to address the issue. Masoud Shojaei, the captain of the Iranian national football team, also stated at the press conference that the Iranian team is "eager" for the match against Morocco on Friday. Shojaei noted that "it is natural for experienced players to have their own stress. The World Cup has its own excitement." He did not promise victory in the three upcoming matches but added that the Iranian players will "give their all" in each match to bring joy to the people of the country. The Iranian national football team was previously in the same group as Portugal during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where they lost the match 2-0. Iranian fans hope that by defeating the African team Morocco, they will gain the "winning card" to advance from this tough group and face Spain and Portugal with higher morale. Reports from Russia indicate that a large number of Iranians have traveled to the country to watch the matches of the Iranian national football team. The 2018 World Cup in Russia began on June 14, with the host team inflicting a heavy 5-0 defeat on Saudi Arabia in the opening match.