Iran’s Masoud Shojaei clears the ball during their 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Qualifiers match against Qatar at the Al Sadd Stadium yesterday. Iran won 1-0. Report, more pictures on page 28.(SHAIVAL DALAL)
BY RIZWAN REHMAT
DOHA: It was heartbreak for hosts Qatar as striker Reza Nournia yesterday produced a second-half strike to power visitors Iran to a crucial 1-0 win in their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at Al Sadd Stadium.
Nournia’s goal in the 66th minute all but ended Qatar’s hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil next year.
With last night’s win, third-placed Iran have a tally of 10 points from six matches in Group A, whereas, Qatar are currently in fourth spot with just seven points from as many matches.
Korea lead Group A with 12 points from seven matches while Uzbekistan are in second spot with a similar tally.
Lebanon, the fifth side in the group, are at the bottom with just six points.
The top three sides in Group A have two games each. Fourth-placed Qatar and Lebanon have one game apiece.
Qatar take on Uzbekistan on June 18 in a game of little value to Fahad Thani’s side.
“It was a very close game, an intense game,” Iran’s assistant coach Antoni Simoes said after the match watched by 11,872 fans at Al Sadd Stadium.
“We ran well and with this 1-0 win and we picked up three points,” Simoes added as Iran inched closer to qualifying for their fourth World Cup finals appearance.
“I would like to express my appreciation to the players. We just had a few days to train for this important match,” Simoes said.
“They responded well despite the limited time we had on our hands,” he added.
“I would have said the same thing even if we had drawn this game against Qatar.”
Qatar coach Fahad cut a forlorn figure at the press conference. “It was a very tight game. We had the chance to score when Hassan (Al Haydos) hit the crossbar (in the 32nd minute),” Fahad said.
“We had opportunities to score but we could not,” Fahad added.
“I think we presented the best possible playing XI. I think the Iranians played better in the second half,” he added.
With plenty at stake in the Group A clash, the two teams looked edgy as they took their time to settle down, failing to make any meaningful attack on the opposition in the first few minutes.
However, the visitors gathered some momentum by winning the first corner of the match in the 11th minute when defender Amirhossein Sadegi produced feeble header that was cleared by Qatari defence line with ease.
In the 32nd minute, in what was clearly the best chance for the home team to score, Al Haydos beat Iranian goalkeeper Ahmadi but was denied by the crossbar.
Enjoying a momentum swing, Qatar defender Abdel Karim Hassan broke free of his marker but his powerful shot from the edge of the box whizzed past the Iranian goalpost with the goalkeeper well beaten by the angle on the ball in the 34th minute.
Three minutes from the end of the first half, tall Qatar goalkeeper Qassim Burhan clipped a curling cross over the crossbar on a free-kick by Shojae to keep Iran at bay.
A few minutes into the second half, Iran upped the ante by pounding the Qatari backline with a series of attacks.
In the 66th minute, Iran struck with the opening goal of the match that silenced a huge crowd at Al Sadd Stadium.
Midfielder Jabari clipped a pass to striker Nournia who charged ahead before calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Burhan who had stepped away from the goal-line to counter the move.
Thereafter, Iran easily played time out to celebrate a hard-fought win. The Peninsula
