All Iranian football fans' eyes will turn to Doha at 3:00 pm London time when the national team will play against Qatar at a highly anticipated Asian Cup semi-finals.
This matchup rekindles a fierce rivalry between the two neighboring nations, with Team Melli entering the match with a historical edge over competition hosts and title holders Qatar.
In their 24 official and friendly meetings, the Iranian team has emerged victorious 16 times, compared to Qatar's mere three wins and five draws.
The winner will face Jordan in the finals.
On the eve of the semi-final against Qatar, Iran defender Saeid Ezatolahi questioned the appointment of a Kuwaiti referee, Ahmad Al-Ali, for the game.
"What is a little bit surprising for us is that the referee for tomorrow's match is from Kuwait, he's an Arab," Ezatolahi, who plays for Danish club Vejle, told reporters.
"But we are the Iran national team, we are a very big team. We have very good players, we are professional," he added.
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