AFC Asian Qualifiers
Mehdi Taremi led by example with a hat-trick as IR Iran stayed unbeaten, moving to 13 points with a match against Uzbekistan to come on Tuesday that will decide the group winners.
The visitors forced the first opening of the match after five minutes when former Porto FC forward Taremi saw his shot from inside the box take a deflection before bouncing off the crossbar.
Iran continued to be the aggressors and their intensity paid dividends in the 12th minute as Taremi converted from the spot after Leon Jones was judged to have handled Mehdi Ghayedi’s cross.
Undeterred, the home side gave their fans at Hong Kong Stadium plenty to cheer two minutes later as 20-year-old debutant Ma Hei Wai was on hand to guide the ball in from a tight angle following a Tan Chun Lok cross from the left.
Iran regained the lead in the 34th minute after a second penalty was awarded after Yapp Hung Fai brought down Taremi, with the forward stepping up to score his 48th international goal.
Spurred on by the crowd, Hong Kong, China began the second half in positive fashion and went close to their second equaliser but Walter Soares’s header was straight at Iran goalkeeper Payam Niazmand.
However, it was Iran who would get the next goal as Taremi completed his hat-trick in the 56th minute, exchanging passes with Ghayedi before curling an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner.
Hong Kong, China reduced the gap three minutes later as substitute Anthony Pinto - with his first touch of the game - found the bottom corner following a scramble after Iran failed to clear a corner kick.
Sardar Azmoun displayed his quality in the 65th minute to increase Iran’s lead - collecting the ball with his back towards goal, the forward expertly turned away from Jones before smashing past a stranded Yapp to make sure of the points.
