Al Nasr may hire Iranian ace Azizi

Talented Iranian footballer Khodadad Azizi is set to join Al Nasr soon. He is likely to play for Nasr till the end of the current season 2000-01. Dr. Tareq Humaid Al Tayer, the Al Nasr club executive bureau chairman told the Gulf News yesterday. "We are negotiating with him (Azizi). Azizi is a good player. If we can bring on him it will boost our club's chances in the coming league matches, and the President's Cup."

Al Nasr play today against Al Ittihad in Kalba in a crucial league match. Azizi is not expected to play with them today. Al Nasr are placed eighth with 15 points from 12 games and they haven't won a game in their last seven matches. Azizi, 29, who arrived yesterday was played for the New Jersey Metro Stars in the U.S. last year.

He started his career in 1995 with Bahman club in Iran. Two years later he was transferred to Germany where he played for Cologne in the Bundesliga. He represented Iran in the Asia Cup finals last October in Lebanon. He was a member of the Iranian team which played in the 1998 World Cup finals in France.

He scored the vital goal against Australia in Melbourne in the qualifiers which took Iran to the World Cup finals. Interestingly, Azizi has already played on the Al Nasr's Maktoum stadium pitch when he represented Iran in the Asia Cup Finals hosted by the UAE in 1996. Iran was placed with Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Thailand in the Group matches during the Asia Cup. Iran went on to secure third place then.

Azizi is expected to play for Al Nasr in their coming league match against Al Ain on January 19 at Al Maktoum stadium. He will be the second Iranian star to play with Al Nasr after Karim Bagheri played with Al Nasr last season. Meanwhile Dr. Tareq Humaid Al Tayer was appointed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation, Chairman of Emirates airline and chairman of the club's board, to chair a temporary committee.

Tareq held a meeting with club's senior soccer players yesterday to encourage them to put up an excellent show in their league match today against Al Ittihad. Al Nasr have retained their Brazilian coach Sebastian Lapola but haves asked him to do well in the coming league matches. The club's temporary committee includes, Sheikh Juma bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Mohammed Al Gufaidi, Ahmed Hareb, Sultan Hareb, Yaqoob Yousuf and Abdulllah Al Hathboor.