Iran coach Afshin Qotbi said on Sunday he is hoping to pilot his side to glory in the 2011 Asian Cup finals and what would be a first title in 35 years. The draw in the Asian Cup 2011 to be played in Qatar on January 7-29 groups Iran, the Asian powerhouse of the late 1960s and through the 1970s, with current Asian Cup champions Iraq, North Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
"My aim is for Team Melli (national team) to make it to the final after 35 years and become champions," Qotbi said, referring to Iran's last triumph in 1976, when they beat Kuwait to become champions for the third time in a row. "When one promises something he has to have control on all the circumstances, but when I cannot control many of the circumstances I cannot promise the championship," he told reporters.
"But we will do our best to make 75 million Iranians happy," he said. "The atmosphere in the Team Melli camp is good, and our training is going in the right direction. So far we have achieved a good level of confidence in our away games," Qotbi said, referring to a 3-1 win over Armenia on August 11. He praised the current team line-up, which includes Javad Nekounam and Masoud Shojai of Spanish La Liga club Osasuna, adding: "The door for other players to the national squad is not closed yet."