Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
AFC Champions League hopefuls Naft Tehran were held to a 1-1 draw by Paykan on Thursday in their last domestic fixture ahead of next week’s crucial qualifying clash with Qatari side El Jaish.
Mohammad Amin Hajmohammadi put the Iran league leaders 1-0 up on the stroke of half-time only for Mostafa Shojaei to earn Paykan a share of the spoils eight minutes after the interval.
The point took Naft’s tally for the season to 39, to more than reigning champions Foolad, who will take pole position if they can defeat Sepahan on Friday in one of two games in hand the 2007 AFC Champions League runners-up have in hand over the league leaders.
Naft’s attention now turns to Tuesday’s AFC Champions League 2015 Play-off against El Jaish, with victory at the Azadi Stadium seeing the Tehran club take part in Asia’s premier club competition for the first time.
The winners of the encounter will advance to Group B of this year’s ACL where they will face inaugural champions Al Ain, Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab, and a Pakhtakor side taking part in their 12th continental campaign.