'Treated us very unfairly': Iran coach slams FIFA World Cup hosts After Egypt draw

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei launched a scathing attack on the FIFA World Cup hosts after his side's dramatic draw against Egypt, claiming his team had been treated "very unfairly" throughout the tournament.Iran produced a spirited performance to earn a hard-fought draw against Egypt in their final Group-stage fixture, keeping their hopes of reaching the Round of 32 alive. The result left Team Melli awaiting the outcomes of other groups to determine whether they would progress as one of the best third-placed teams. Despite praising his players' commitment, Ghalenoei expressed frustration over the logistical challenges Iran faced during the tournament.

The coach argued that restrictions imposed by the hosts prevented the squad from arriving two weeks before the tournament, hampering their preparation both physically and mentally."The host country treated us very unfairly, Had the host nation allowed us to arrive two weeks earlier to prepare, we would have been in much better shape, physically and mentally. However, they deprived us of that justice,'' Amir Ghalenoei said after the matchReflecting on Iran's campaign, Ghalenoei also pointed to misfortune alongside the off-field difficulties.

"I used to think we were a totally oppressed team, but after these three games, I have noticed that we also have bad luck,'' he added.The Iran coach urged FIFA to ensure similar situations are avoided in future tournaments."I urge FIFA: Don't let hosts treat players and teams the same way in future World Cups."Ghalenoei further revealed that the squad had to travel back to Tijuana immediately after the match, delaying their recovery ahead of a possible knockout fixture."The team came with a sacred objective, which was to train and play well. If, God willing, we advance, I'll give the players a day to recover properly, maybe go to the beach and mentally relax a bit,'' he concluded.Iran must now wait for the remaining group-stage results to learn whether their resilient draw against Egypt will be enough to secure a place in the knockout stage.