Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: Iran made up for the disappointment of failing to successfully defend their continental crown by claiming Asia’s final ticket to the 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup with an 8-3 hammering of Lebanon in Saturday’s AFC Beach Soccer Championship.
Iran, who were consigned to the third-place playoff for the fifth time since 2006 when they lost Friday’s semi-final to 2013 runners-up Japan, built up a 4-0 lead by the quarter-of-an-hour mark through goals from Mohammad Moradi (9th), Mohammadali Mokhtari (12th), skipper Ali Naderi (13th) and Mohammad Ahmadzadeh (15th).
Lebanon finally got on the scoreboard in the 17th minute when goalkeeper Mohamed Choker scored his second of the tournament following his strike in the 6-1 group stage victory over Uzbekistan before Haitham Fattal made further ground in the Cedars’ fightback with his seventh of the campaign three minutes later.
Ahmadzadeh stopped Lebanon’s run with Iran’s fifth a minute later and completed his hat-trick in the 28th minute, two minutes after Mohamad Merhi had netted Lebanon’s third and final goal.
But the scoring didn’t end there as Ali Naderi scored his second of the night in the 29th minute before the final say went to Ahmadzadeh, who scored his fourth and Iran’s eighth with three minutes of the match remaining.
Iran will join AFC Beach Soccer Championship finalists Japan and Oman at the 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, scheduled to be held in Espinho, Portugal from July 9 to 19.
Photo: beachsoccer.com