Roger de Sa set for Soccer World Cup as part of Iranian coaching team

Roger de Sa will form part of the Iranian coaching team for the 2023 Soccer World Cup in Qatar.  

De Sa, who recently spent time as part of the coaching team of the Egyptian national side, will join Carlos Queiroz's team as assistant coach.

De Sa, who has coached extensively in South Africa, is taking on his fourth role coaching in a national setup, and it's the second time he will be going to a World Cup. 

"Once you qualify for the World Cup, you give yourself a realistic chance, and with the tournament being held in Qatar, it evens it out a bit more because you are not playing in Europe, you are not playing in South America, so it's almost a neutral venue," De Sa said after his appointment. 

"The heat and humidity will be a challenge for many of the players in the tournament. We have a short time to prepare. Ideally, we would have been there for a year, but Carlos knows the team, and the players know him, as he coached them in the last two World Cups." 

Da Sa steps straight into action this week in Tehran.

"Wednesday and Thursday, we start training with the team. Saturday, we train again, and then we fly to Austria, where we play Uruguay and Senegal. We return to Iran where we continue the scouting process with the team. These two games will give us a good idea. I may fly to Europe to watch some of the players with their clubs, and we will probably train in Dubai for a week before we go to Qatar."  

De Sa started his coaching career with Bidvest Wits after a successful playing career that saw him play as a goalkeeper for Bafana Bafana, Mamelodi Sundowns, Moroko Swallows and Wits. He went on to coach Orlando Pirates, Ajax Cape Town and Platinum Stars, among others.

He worked as Bafana Bafana's goalkeeper coach when Queiroz was