Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei has admitted that restrictions on the team in the World Cup have been impacting their performances, but said they will be granted more flexibility in their next matches.
Iran came to the tournament as tensions with the United States continue and have been residing in Mexico en route to the US for their matches.
Frequent border crossings have caused problems, and the team has been granted limited access to the US.
They had to leave immediately after their match.
After their Los Angeles game against Belgium, Iran will face Egypt in Seattle next Friday.
Ghalenoei said that he had been told that the squad would be given earlier access and will have their own programme for the last match.
He, however, asked: how come they weren’t given similar treatment in their first games?
The coach blamed New Zealand’s draw, and the team’s lack of form in general, on over-travelling.
Tiredness was a factor in defensive errors and the team’s inability to perform at peak levels, he said.
Ghalenoei also pointed out that Iran did not spend more than 24 hours in the US to prepare for the Belgium match, as they were waiting for possible approval which never arrived.
The situation caused mental stress and made their time for training insufficient and they only finished half of their pre-match training, he added.
Iran’s last game of the group stage is a key game for Iran if they want to qualify for the knockout stages.
Also read: Iran to file complaint over travel restrictions amid FIFA World Cup
