Dragan Skocic Remains Team Melli Coach
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Dragan Skocic will remain Iran football coach until the end of the 2022 World Cup Qualification Round 3.
Head of The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) Shahabeddin Azizi Khadem announced that the Croatian coach will be Team Melli coach in the next stage.
Iranian media had previously reported that the federation had been linked with ex-Iran coaches Carlos Queiroz and Branko Ivankovic.
Under leadership of Skocic, Iran booked its place at the Qualification Round 3. Team Melli defeated Hong Kong, Bahrain, Cambodia and Iraq and advanced to the next stage as Group C winner.
The draw ceremony for Round 3 will be conducted on July 1 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In the next stage, a total of 12 teams will be split into two groups of six in a home-and-away, round robin format.
The winner and runner-up in each group (four total) will qualify directly for the World Cup Finals, while the third-placed teams will advance to a playoff, where they will play to determine which team will advance to the intercontinental playoff.