Marcello Lippi is good for Asian football, says Iran coach Carlos Queiroz as the two prepare to lock horns

China will play Iran on Tuesday and will be brimming with confidence following their hard-fought win over South Korea on Thursday

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China head coach Marcello Lippi remains unbeaten as national team manager after overseeing a win over South Korea. Photo: AP

Published: 11:59am, 24 Mar 2017Updated: 10:33pm, 24 Mar 2017

Tuesday’s 2018 World Cup qualifier in Tehran is not just between Iran and China but is a meeting between two of the highest-profile coaches ever to work in Asian football. Carlos Queiroz is looking forward to locking horns with Marcello Lippi.

In the white corner of what should be a full Azadi Stadium in the Iranian capital will be Queiroz: a former coach of Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world, and a man who led Portugal’s under-20 team to successive world titles.

While Queiroz has been with Iran six years, Lippi arrived in China less than six months ago with a coaching CV that is second to none. The ‘Silver Fox’, led Italy to the 2006 World Cup and Juventus to five Serie A titles and the 1996 Uefa Champions League. He replicated that club success in Asia with Guangzhou Evergrande, lifting three Chinese Super League titles and the 2013 Asian Champions League.

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz has been in charge of Iran for six years. Photo: EPA

“It is good for Asian football that Lippi is here,” Quieroz told South China Morning Post. “The way world football and the schedule of international games is organised, it is difficult for Asian teams to compete with the traditional strong nations in Europe and South America but it helps to have some of the best coaches working here. They can help raise the level and make Asia more competitive.”

To add to his haul of trophies, Lippi also delivered China’s second-ever win over South Korea on Thursday as Yu Dabao scored the only goal of the game in Changsha. That moved China into fifth-placed in the six-team group with five points from six games.

With only four remaining, it is highly unlikely that China will finish in the top two spots that mean automatic progress to Russia 2018 but Lippi is already making a difference.