Iran can win title, says Taremi

DOHA: Mehdi Taremi has spent much of his career being compared to the legendary Ali Daei, but the Iran striker is hoping he can go one step further than his mentor and break his nation’s AFC Asian Cup drought.
Iran take on Syria tomorrow in the Round of 16 game.
Iranian fans need no reminder of how long it has been since the country last claimed the AFC Asian Cup; since 1976 numerous teams have tried – and failed – to take the title to Tehran for a fourth time.
Team Melli have turned up in Qatar for the current edition of the continental championship with designs on claiming the trophy, another talented team ready to turn 48 years of heartache into euphoria and delight.
The man spearheading the latest challenge is Mehdi Taremi, a player who needs little introduction due to his remarkable exploits for both club and country. A prolific scorer for Porto and Iran, Taremi is hoping to achieve what so many before him have failed to do.
“Iran has one of the biggest chances to become the champions of Asia, but not everything in the tournament will go according to the plans we have,” he told the-AFC.com.
“During the tournament we have seen some exciting things happen which have made the tournament more interesting.”