Al Rayyan, Jan. 13 -- Islamic Republic of Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei is eyeing a winning start when his side take on Palestine in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 opener on Sunday as he returns to the country where he played four decades ago.
The 60-year-old IR Iran boss had previously managed Team Melli in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals, but he believes the game in Asia has made huge leaps since the tournament was held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
"I would like to say I'm very happy being in Qatar. I have very good memories here, I played here 40 years ago at Al Sadd Club and I have very happy memories here," said Ghalenoei, who wore the colours of the Qatari giants between 1987 and 1989, ...