Iran has been out front in Group A since defeating Qatar in its opening match. The only unbeaten side in the Asian qualifiers, Team Melli’s record reads as played five, won three, drawn two and no goals conceded, statistics that seem to back up the wisdom of Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz’s results-first approach.
In fact, the Iranians have been so well drilled that they have also gone unbeaten throughout 2016 as a whole, a record of which their coach is rightly proud.
“My team is getting better every year,” Quieroz told FIFA. “When I took on the Iran job, only one of our players was playing in Europe. Now there are 11.”
“We have to keep on working if we are to achieve the impossible [qualifying for two World Cups in a row],” he added.