TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — It has been 35 years since the last of Iran's three Asian Cup wins, and current form suggests it may have to wait a little longer to end that drought.

The team is still smarting from its failure to reach the 2010 World Cup and has been drawn in what looks like a tough group with defending champion Iraq, North Korea and the United Arab Emirates at the Asian Cup.
""I think our group is the most difficult group in the tournament,"" coach Afshin Ghotbi said.
Ghotbi has already announced he will step down after the Asian Cup to take over at J-League side Shimizu S-Pulse. But the 46-year-old, who has also had spells as assistant to Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat with South Korea, says he remains fully focused on the tournament.
""We are there for victory, we are trekking on this path and we will act professionally,"" he said. ""Our aim is the championship, but I am not promising anything.""
Iran had few problems in qualifying for the tournament, beginning with a 6-0 thrashing of Singapore and ending with a last-gasp win over Thailand. The team lost once — in Jordan — and conceded only two goals.
However, friendly results have been inconsistent. Team Melli, as Iran is also known, beat Iraq at the West Asian Football Federation Championship in October before losing the final to Kuwait, then losing 3-0 at home to Brazil and playing out an uninspiring 0-0 draw with host Qatar in the build-up to the Asian Cup.
Despite the team's recent struggles, Ghotbi said he expects his players ""will be ready"" when they face longtime rival Iraq in their opening match. The team is the fourth-ranked team in the Asian Football Confederation, behind Japan, South Korea and Australia.
""We have to be intelligent and try to learn and improve,"" he said. ""We have the team, we have prepared a good training program in Qatar, which has been very good for us, and I believe that we will be ready on Jan. 11 and the game that comes against Iraq.""
Ghotbi said he wants ""new heroes"" to emerge for Iran at the Asian Cup and perhaps it was with that in mind that he left former captain Ali Karimi and Farhad Majidi out of his squad.
Former Bayern Munich midfielder Karimi has made 112 appearances for Iran and scored 36 goals, while the 33-year-old Majidi has played 43 times for his country.
""I have assembled a team based on the players being football-smart, team-minded, and having an instinctive ambition for the title,"" Ghotbi said.
That means an even greater burden of responsibility will fall on captain Javad Nekounam, a 30-year-old defensive midfielder who plays for Osasuna in Spain's topflight and has more than 100 Iran caps.
Nekounam and his Osasuna teammate Masoud Shojai are Iran's only Europe-based players, although midfielder Andranik Teymourian spent four years in the English Premier League with Bolton and Fulham.
Up front, Iran has struggled to identify a consistent goal threat, hence 21-year-old striker Arash Afshin made the squad despite never having played for the national team.
Afshin was not even born when his country dominated Asian football in the 1970s, winning three consecutive Asian Cup titles until 1976 and becoming the first team from the continent to play in a World Cup when it qualified for Argentina 1978.
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Squad:
Goalkeepers: Mehdi Rahmati (Sepahan), Ebrahim Mirzapour (Saipa), Shahab Gordan (Zob Ahan).
Defenders: Khosro Heydari (Esteghlal FC), Hadi Aghili (Sepahan), Mohammad Nosrati (Tractor Sazi), Jalal Hosseini (Sepahan), Farshid Talebi (Zob Ahan), Mohsen Bengar (Sepahan).
Midfielders: Javad Nekounam (Osasuna), Andranik Teymourian (Tractor Sazi), Ghasem Hadadifar (Zob Ahan), Pejman Nouri (Malavan), Iman Mobali (Esteghlal FC), Mehdi Kiani (Shahin Bushehr), Mohammad Nouri (Persepolis), Gholamreza Rezaei (Persepolis), Masoud Shojaei (Osasuna), Mohammad-Reza Khalatbari (Zob Ahan), Ehsan Hajsafi (Sepahan).
Forwards: Karim Ansarifard (Saipa), Arash Afshin (Foolad FC), Mohammad Gholami (Steel Azin), Reza Norouzi (Foolad FC).