'Iran will make it through qualifiers'

PTV - Australia's football coach, Pim Verbeek, believes that Iran will be one of the contenders in the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa.

"I expect Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Japan to make it through the qualifiers," Goal.com quoted Verbeek as saying.

"Out of those I think that Australia, Korea and Iran are the strongest contenders," he added.

Verbeek resigned as South Korea's coach after the 2007 Asian Cup and signed with Australia on December 2.

Four Asian nations will automatically head to the 2010 World Cup while the fifth will play against the winner of the Oceania region.