Iran defender Hossein Abarghouei has issued a confident message ahead of his side’s international friendly against the Nigeria national football team, insisting his team is fully prepared to compete.
Speaking in an interview with Tasnim News Agency, the centre-back highlighted the positive atmosphere within camp and the importance of the upcoming fixtures in shaping Iran’s long-term ambitions.
“We are grateful that our training sessions are progressing well, and we have established an excellent camp,” Abarghouei said.
“I hope we can bring joy to our supporters by achieving favorable results against Nigeria and Costa Rica, as this match represents a significant step towards our World Cup aspirations.”
Despite concerns over limited collective preparation time, Abarghouei dismissed any fears about readiness, stressing that the squad has maintained high fitness levels even amid recent disruptions.
“During our brief stay in Turkey, we have trained effectively. All national team members are professionals, and it is not as if they have just been resting,” he explained.
“All the players have been training individually. Our physical condition is satisfactory, and we are prepared to compete with Nigeria.”
On the other side, the Super Eagles have steadily built momentum in camp, which opened earlier this week in Turkey.
Head coach Eric Chelle initially welcomed a group of 13 players and technical staff, before the squad grew to 22 with the arrival of key midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.
However, Nigeria’s preparations have not been without setbacks, as defender Calvin Bassey was forced to withdraw due to a back injury.
The friendly presents an important test for both nations as they continue to fine-tune tactics and squad cohesion ahead of major international competitions.
The last time Iran and Nigeria met was at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where the two sides played out a goalless draw in the group stage — a result both teams will be eager to improve upon this time around.
