TEHRAN – Iran national football team head coach Carlos Queiroz said the friendly match against Uzbekistan will be very useful since the Asian team have changed into a strong team under Hector Cuper.

Team Melli will meet Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Tuesday as preparation for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

“We will play against a strong and well organized team who take advantage of good players. I think this will be a great experience for our players in the AFC Asian Cup. It is obvious that under the guidance of Hector Cuper, Uzbekistan are an amazing team,” he added.

“We’ve started preparations for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. In this match, we will have the opportunity to play with the experienced and the youth players.

Asked him about Sardar Azmoun’s retirement from the national duty, Queiroz said, “For some reasons, Sardar left the team at the end of the World Cup, but not for always. When he asked me for advice, I agreed not to call him for a while as he had personal reasons. After a while he will return to the team after solving his problems,”

“I would like to emphasize that participation in the World Cup does not help us for the AFC Asian Cup. For the Asian Cup, we need to work hard, to increase the players' passion, and then we can win the championship. South Korea, Japan, and Uzbekistan are also in the Asian Cup for the sake of winning the title. When we work more, we earn more,” the former Real Madrid coach stated.

“I have not signed a new contract with the Iranian Football Federation. However, we have reached a deal with the federation. You just have to write it on the paper,” he said.