Iran is currently standing in third place of Group C of Asia’s second qualifying round for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with 6 points after Iraq and Bahrain with 11 and 9 points, respectively.
The point is that Iran has done a match less than those two rivals, therefore the today's draw between Iraq and Bahrain can help Iran keep its hopes alive to advance to the next level of the competitions replacing Bahrain.
Hopes for Iran had dimmed after it suffered narrow defeats against both Bahrain and Iraq.
Iran has been seeded in Group C alongside Iraq, Bahrain, Cambodia and Hong Kong.
The eight group winners and four best runners-up will advance to the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Finals and the final round of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The next best 24 teams from the second round of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining 12 slots in the 24-team AFC Asian Cup China 2023.
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