Returning after a three-year hiatus, Daei scored 22 international goals in 1996, becoming all-time leading goalscorer. This included a four-goal haul against Nepal, and five goals in a thrashing of Sri Lanka. At the 1996 Asian Cup quarter final, Daei scored four goals in 22 minutes against South Korea, in arguably one of the best displays of his career. His impressive form earned him a brief move to Al Sadd in Qatar, before starting a five-year stint in the German Bundesliga. At Arminia Bielefeld, he scored seven goals in 26 appearances, which was enough to land a transfer to giants Bayern Munich in 1998.
