Iran may have to do without forward Mehdi Torabi for their next two World Cup group matches after the 31-year-old's visa was declared invalid, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Monday. Torabi did not play in the side's opener against New Zealand on Monday, which finished 2-2. While the other Iranian players were issued with visas allowing multiple entries into the US, Torabi was reportedly only granted permission for a single entry for the New Zealand game. The Iranian Football Federation has already applied for a new visa to enable Torabi to take part in the next two matches. Iran's participation at the World Cup has been hampered by the country's war with the United States. The team was not allowed to stay overnight in the US following their first match in Los Angeles, being forced to return to their base in Mexico. Coach Amir Ghalenoi said the team is the "most oppressed" at the World Cup. From a purely sporting perspective, Torabi's absence would probably not be too significant. He is at the tournament as a replacement for the former Bayer Leverkusen player Sardar Azmoun, who was accused of unpatriotic behaviour. — dpa
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