World Cup 2014: Iran Releases Provisional Squad List

Iran national team coach Carlos Queiroz has announced a 28-man provisional squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Fulham midfielder Ashkan Dejagah headlines the team list, which also includes Rubin Kazan’s 19-year-old uncapped starlet Sardar Azmoun. Dejagah played 21 league games for the Cottagers this season, scoring five goals in a difficult campaign as they were relegated. Carlos Queiroz Has Excluded 35-Year-Old Forward, Ali Karimi, from Iran Provisional World Cup Squad. Charlton Athletic midfielder Reza Ghoochannejhad is also among the squad list. The former Real Madrid boss will trim his final squad to 23 players by Fifa’s 2 June deadline. Iran will hold training camps in Tehran and Austria ahead of the World Cup finals. They will play Argentina, Bosnia and Nigeria in Group F. Iran 2014 World Cup Preliminary Squad Goalkeepers: Daniel Davari (Eintracht Braunschweig), Alireza Haghighi (Sporting Covilha, on loan from Rubin Kazan), Rahman Ahmadi (Sepahan), Sousha Makani (Foolad Khuzestan). Defenders: Khosro Heidari (Esteghlal), Hossein Mahini (Persepolis), Steven Beitashour (Vancouver Whitecaps), Pejman Montazeri (Umm Salal), Jalal Hosseini (Persepolis), Amir Sadeghi (Esteghlal), Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh (Zob Ahan), Ahmad Alenemeh (Naft), Hashem Beikzadeh (Esteghlal), Ehsan Hajsafi (Sepahan), Mehrdad Pooladi (Persepolis). Midfielders: Javad Nekounam (Al Kuwait), Andranik Teymourian (Esteghlal), Reza Haghighi (Persepolis), Ghasem Hadadifar (Zob Ahan), Bakhtiyar Rahmani (Foolad), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (NEC Nijmegen), Ashkan Dejagah (Fulham). Forwards: Masoud Shojaei (Las Palmas), Mohammad Reza Khalatbari (Persepolis), Mehdi Sharifi (Sepahan), Reza Ghoochannejhad (Charlton), Karim Ansarifard (Persepolis, on loan at Tractor Sazi), Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan).