Source: Press TV

After naming Iran's national soccer coach, 28 players have been invited for the first round of South Africa's 2010 World Cup qualifier.

The newly-appointed head coach Javier Clemente will observe the friendly match against Costa Rica on January 30 from the stands before debuting in the first qualifying match against Syria on February 6.

Mahdi Mahdavikia from Eintracht Frankfurt, Andranik Teymourian from Bolton Wanderer's and Leicester City's Hossein Ka'bi, leaving the English Championship side after just one half season, are among the European players for Iran.

Mahdavikia and Teymourian are expected to miss the Costa Rica friendly on January 30, but to play against Syria one week later.

Fereidoun Zandi, the injured Javad Nekounam as well as Rahman Rezaei and Vahid Hashemian, who both had asked not to partake in the first round of World Cup qualification, are prominent absentees.

Here is the squad:

Goalkeepers:
Vahid Taleblou, Mahdi Rahmati, Mahdi Vaezi, Abbas Mohammadi

Defenders:
Mohammad Nosrati, Jalal Hosseini, Hadi Aghili, Mohsen Bengar, Hadi Shakouri, Hossein Ka'bi, Shays Rezaei, Pejman Nouri, Morteza Asadi

Midfielders:
Mahdi Mahdavikia, Milad Meydavoudi, Ebrahim Sadeghi, Andranik Teymourian, Maziar Zare', Iman Mobali, Mojtaba Jabbari, Ali Karimi, Mas'oud Shojaei, Mehrzad Madanchi, Alireza Vahedi-Nikbakht

Strikers:
Mohsen Khalili, Javad Kazemian, Ali Samereh, Mahdi Rajabzadeh

... Payvand News - 01/28/08 ...