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World Cup qualifiers: Iranians query decision to host matches in Bahrain
- Iran, along with Hong Kong, will play their remaining 2022 World Cup qualifiers in sweltering Bahrain
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Iran head coach Dragan Skocic and Mehdi Taremi, one of the nation’s highest-profile players, have questioned the decision to hold the country’s World Cup qualifiers in Bahrain when play resumes in June.
The Iranians were informed by the Asian Football Confederation last week that the Gulf state will host the remaining matches in group C of the second round of the competition, which also features Iraq, Cambodia and Hong Kong.
Porto striker Taremi accused the AFC of anti-Iran bias in a post on social media and questioned why Bahrain was given the hosting rights at a time when temperatures can hit 38 degrees Celsius.
“I am wondering when these biased AFC decisions against Iranian football will come to an end,” the striker posted on Twitter.
“Bahrain’s heat and a whole host of other reasons are making me wonder, why there? I am still thinking why these decisions do not come to an end. We have suffered our whole lives, this is just another one.”
Head coach Skocic, appointed in February 2020 to replace Marc Wilmots, also took to social media to query the decision, saying it was not made in the best interests of all the participants.
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