TEHRAN, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Football Federation (IFF) chief, Ali Kaffashian said Sunday that Iran and the U.S. soccer friendly will be held after 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
"Upon the agreement between the two Federations' chieves of Iran and the United States, the match was postponed to after the South African World Cup," Kaffashian was quoted as saying by the local ISNA news agency.
"Due to the sensitivities concerning the game, both sides needed (the time) to provide the ground to meet the conditions posed by both countries .... Considering the issue and due to the proposal made by the American side, it was agreed that the match to be coordinated for after South African World Cup," said Kaffashian.
"All the written and oral negotiations (on the arrangements of the match) with the American side have been carried out directly without (any) mediator," he added.
In August, IFF deputy chief Mehdi Taj said Iran is likely to play the United States in a friendly soccer match in future.
In May, Kaffashian said that Iran has agreed to play a friendly match with the U.S. national soccer team.
"We are interested in holding friendly matches with the United States," he was quoted as saying by local satellite Press TV.
Earlier, IFF chief had told local ISNA news agency that the U.S. Soccer Federation had forwarded a request of a friendly football match to Iran's Football Federation.
In the 1998 World Cup in France, Iran beat U.S. 2-1 and they drew 1-1 in a friendly later in the United States.
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