German football weekly sees only outsider role for Iran

IRNA - Iran has only outside chances in Group D to qualify for the second round of the World Cup ahead of either top favorites - Portugal or Mexico, the football weekly Sport Bild reported Wednesday.

Iran's playing skills are simply not enough to make it into the round of final 16, said football expert Joachim Schuth in his analysis of the National Team.

Citing Iran's top players like Hamburg's Mehdi Mahdavikia, Bayern Munich's Ali Karimi and Saba Battery's Ali Daei, Schuth pointed out this national squad is the best ever team in that country's football history.

Iran will open its 2006 World Cup campaign against Mexico in Nuremberg on June 11, then head to Frankfurt for an encounter with Portugal on June 17 and finally meet Angola in Leipzig on June 21.