Tajikistan heroes Yatimov and Hanonov dedicate historic victory to fans

Playing their first-ever knockout stage match on their continental debut, the Tajiks took the lead at the half-hour mark through Hanonov whose towering header found its way past goalkeeper Khaled Eisa and into the bottom corner of the Emirati net.

Despite being clawed back late in added time through a Khalifa Al Hammadi header, head coach Petar Segrt’s men held out throughout the 30 minutes of extra time to force a penalty shootout in which goalkeeper Yatimov saved from Caio Canedo to set his team up for a 5-3 victory.

Iranian fans need no reminder of how long it has been since the country last claimed the AFC Asian Cup; since 1976 numerous teams have tried – and failed – to take the title to Tehran for a fourth time.

Team Melli have turned up in Qatar for the current edition of the continental championship with designs on claiming the trophy, another talented team ready to turn 48 years of heartache into euphoria and delight.

The man spearheading the latest challenge is Mehdi Taremi, a player who needs little introduction due to his remarkable exploits for both club and country. A prolific scorer for Porto and Iran, Taremi is hoping to achieve what so many before him have failed to do.