TEHRAN - Iran football coach Amir Ghalenoei hit back at the critics for their scathing criticism of the team's performances at the 2026 World Cup qualifier.

Iran national football team, despite topping Group A in the 2026 World Cup qualification, have faced growing criticism following their recent performances, especially against DPR Korea.

Iran are scheduled to meet Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek and will expect to take another step towards sealing qualification.

“We know that how strong Kyrgyzstan are and it will be a difficult match against them in front of their fans. Kyrgyzstan have lost 3-0 in their previous match but they are strong in counter attack. They will defend tomorrow but they have great quality in attack,” Ghalenoei said in the pre-match news conference.

“We are ready to secure our berth in the World Cup as soon as possible. I know that some people don’t like this and I believe that the criticism is unfair. Our goal is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and then we want to advance to the next stage for the first time in history,” he added.

“I was dismissed shortly after the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, despite we had been knocked out on penalties against South Korea. Now, the recent criticism reminds me of the way they treated me in 2007 and it’s unfair,” Ghalenoei said.