Iran defeats Qatar 2-0 at World Cup Qualification

Before the eyes of 80,000 spectators at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, Team Melli (Iranian national men’s football team) lined up against the Maroons (Qatari national men’s football team) on Friday to open their first match of the third round on the way to Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup.

While the regular time of the game ended with a scoreless draw, Reza Ghoochannejhad of Iran took advantage from the mistake by Qatar goalkeeper Amine Lacomte and put the hosts ahead four minutes into injury time.

After a brawl following the host’s goal, Alireza Jahanbaksh scored a magnificent goal for the Iranians to ensure the host a 2-0 victory.

Reza Ghoochannejhad was announced the best player of the event.

The third round of AFC matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification opened on Friday September 01, with three matches in the Group A and three matches in the Group B.

In Group A, South Korea defeated the People Republic of China 3-2, while Uzbekistan edge passed Syria 1-0, and Iran won over Qatar 2-0.

In Group B, the Australians thrashed their visitors from Iraq 2-0, Japan conceded to a defeat from their visitors from the UAE with a 2-1 score, and Saudi Arabia won a listless 1-0 victory over visiting Thais with the penalty kick of 84th minute of the event.    

In the Group A of the third round of the AFC 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification competitions, the Islamic Republic of Iran is pitted against South Korea, Uzbekistan, China, Qatar and Syria while Japan is drawn in Group B, along with Australia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Thailand.

A total of four teams, the winner and runner-up of each group, will qualify for Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, while the third-placed teams of each group (two teams in total) will head to the play-off round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The winner of the Asian play-off round will then face twice the fourth-placed squad in the fifth round of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) qualifying games.

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