A coach for the national soccer team Afshin Ghotbi has been denied entry to Iran.

The Korea Football Association said Tuesday that Ghotbi was waiting for his entry visa in Dubai while his team left for Iran to play the second-leg qualifier of the Asian Cup 2007.

If worst comes to worst, head coach Pim Verbeek may have to play the match without his assistant coach.

KFA suspects that Iran denied Ghotbi’s entry because he applied for a visa with his U.S. passport although he was born in Iran.