TEHRAN – Iran national football team will likely play Angola in a friendly match in September.

Team Melli were scheduled to play Cabo Verde in Tehran on Sept. 12 but the African team will have to play Togo two days earlier and the Cape Verdean Football Federation announced that they cannot travel to Iran.

Now, the Iranian football federation has opened negotiations with some African teams and the media reports suggest that Angola will most likely replace Cabo Verde.

Iran played Angola in Group D of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where the two teams shared the spoil in a 1-1 draw.

Amir Ghalenoei’s team will play Bulgaria at the Hristo Botev Stadium in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, slated for Sept. 7 as part of preparation for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Three-time winners Iran are drawn along the UAE, Hong Kong and Palestine in Group C.