Iran has officially confirmed that their Senior Soccer National team will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pointing to the ongoing conflict involving host nation the United States as the reason behind the decision.

The announcement was made by Iran’s Sports Minister, Ahmad Donyamal, who explained that the prevailing geopolitical climate makes it impossible for the country to take part in the global tournament. Iran’s involvement in the competition had already been in doubt following a sharp escalation in military tensions last month.

According to reports, the situation intensified after the United States and Israel carried out coordinated strikes on Iran. The attacks reportedly led to the death of the country’s supreme leader and prompted retaliatory actions from Tehran against US-allied states in the Gulf region, further deepening the crisis.

When previously asked about the issue, US President Donald Trump told Politico that he was not concerned about Iran’s potential participation in the tournament. However, even before the official withdrawal was confirmed, the president of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, Mehdi Taj, had hinted that the country’s presence at the World Cup appeared unlikely given the rising political tensions.

Speaking during a televised interview reported by RTÉ, Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamal confirmed that Iran would not compete under the current circumstances.

“Since this corrupt government assassinated our leader, we have no conditions under which we can participate in the World Cup,” he said.

“In view of the malicious measures taken against Iran, two wars were forced upon us within eight or nine months, and several thousand of our people were killed. Therefore, we definitely have no possibility of participating in this way.”

The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. Iran had been drawn in a group alongside New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, with their matches set to take place in Los Angeles and Seattle.

Earlier, FIFA president Gianni Infantino revealed that he had received assurances from President Trump that Iran would be welcomed to compete in the tournament despite the strained relations. Infantino said he had discussed preparations for the competition during a recent meeting with the US leader, reiterating FIFA’s hope that the World Cup would serve as a platform to unite people around the world.

Iran had secured its place at the tournament after finishing top of Group A in the Asian qualifiers, marking what would have been the nation’s fourth consecutive World Cup appearance.

Plans had also been made for the team to set up a training base at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, but those arrangements are now effectively cancelled following the government’s decision to withdraw from the comp

Assistant coach of Sudan National team Ignatius Osei Fosu has shown interest for Kotoko SC coaching job but debunk reports of the club contacting him as speculations in the media reveals.

Asante Kotoko SC top job is vacant following the resignation of Abdul Karim Zito last month – February. The side is currently being managed by assistant coach Yaw Prince Owusu in the interim.

Names popped up after his departure with that of Osei-Fosu rumored to be in the race but in an interview, the assistant coach of the Sudanese national football team, disclosed that he was never formally contacted about the Asante Kotoko coaching job, despite speculation.

Hinting that, despite speculations timing for such top job is crucial to every football manager.

“In the first place, if your name comes up, it means that you have done a fantastic job. But nobody actually contacted me,” Osei-Fosu told Luv FM.

“Timing of the job is always of the essence to me.

“When I’m picking jobs, it’s always the right time. I don’t jump into it. From the start of my career, my people and I have always talked about timing, so there have been different jobs at different times,” the former Dreams FC gaffer explained.

“In fact, when I came to Ghana earlier this season, there was a Ghana Premier League club that contacted me. But I told them the time was not right,” he added.

Coach Ignatius has gathered experience in the Ghana top Flight campaign after handling Eleven Wonders, Meadeama, Dreams FC and King Faisal.

Head coach of Ghana’s national U-15 team Fatawu Salifu has praised Kurt Okraku for initiatives aimed at strengthening coaching development in the country.

Salifu believes the leadership of the Ghana Football Association has placed strong focus on improving the education and training of coaches at different levels of the game.

He explained that several programmes have been introduced to give coaches more opportunities to upgrade their knowledge and skills.

According to him, these initiatives are helping trainers better guide young footballers across the country.

Salifu noted that in the past many coaches struggled due to a lack of mentorship and limited access to proper training.

However, he believes recent efforts by the football governing body are gradually changing that situation.

The coach pointed to workshops and continuous learning programmes as key steps toward building a more professional coaching environment.