Roger de Sa, who is in Iran as the assistant coach of the national team, is elated after they defeated Uruguay 1-0 last week and leapfrogged into the top 20th spot on the latest Fifa world rankings.
The result has given De Sa and head coach Carlos Queiroz confidence they can reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the fist time at the tournament in Qatar in November and December. Iran’s opening World Cup Group B match is against England in Al Rayyan.
Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper and Orlando Pirates coach De Sa jetted off to Tehran this month to join Queiroz, who was appointed days earlier, as they prepare Iran for the World Cup. “We wish we could have some time with the team. The Uruguay win got us more excited and more confident,” De Sa told TimesLIVE.
“But we are confident about reaching the knockout stages — that will be history, it will be for the first time Iran achieved that. In the last two World Cups, they came very close. We can only try again.
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