Staring at their first World Cup qualifier home defeat since 2012, Ghalenoei needed someone from his team to step up to the plate, and Taremi did not disappoint, scoring his second in the 83rd minute to salvage a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan, with the point being sufficient to clinch qualification.
“A great player must help both technically and physically,” said Ghalenoei. “Taremi is one of them, and even though he plays for a great team and is not in good condition and could have missed the season, he played , stayed with the team, and played for the people.
“He became the best player on the field, and I am happy that in most games, he has been the best player on the field for the Iranian national team.”
Ghalenoei went on to reiterate that reaching the Finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is only the beginning of more hard work, with the wily head coach targeting Iran’s first-ever knockout stage appearance at the global showpiece.
“I congratulate the Iranian people on this qualification. Qualification was not an easy task. Look at the capabilities of other teams, and you will see that the players were able to achieve this qualification through difficult circumstances.
“We will present a very good plan to the officials in the next two to three weeks, and we hope that it will be implemented so we will be able to advance to the Round of 16 in the World Cup," he concluded.