TEHRAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian national soccer team hopes to open its account with a victory in Group C against Hong Kong of China at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Tehran Times daily reported on Sunday.
Marc Wilmots's team will meet the East Asian side at the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium in So Kon Po on Tuesday.
Team Melli, who have been drawn alongside Iraq, Bahrain, Cambodia and Hong Kong, are favorites to go to the third round.
The Hong Kong team got off to a shaky start in their Asian World Cup qualifier, drawing 1-1 against a mainly under-23 Cambodia side in Phnom Penh on Thursday night.
Team Melli's Belgian coach, who replaced Carlos Queiroz, started his reign in Iran with a 5-0 win over Syria in a friendly match and drew 1-1 with South Korea in Seoul in June.
"We are going to have a strong start in the competition. We will dictate our style of play. Team Melli will play an attacking football against their opponents," Wilmots was quoted as saying.
