Team Melli showed lots of grit and determination to overcome a talented Morocco side in their opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign on Friday.

Having not been able to create many chances, IR Iran were made to wait until the dying seconds to grab a winner as Ehsan Hajsafi's cross from a free-kick was sent into the back of the net by Bouhaddouz's misdirected flying header.

The Portuguese coach, leading Team Melli in the FIFA World Cup for the second time running, credited the players for a hard-fought win. IR Iran were made to wait until the final minute of added time to find a winner through an own goal from Moroccan defender Aziz Bouhaddouz.

“This win was the result of hard work, intelligent cohesion and a great attitude from the players,” said Queiroz, following the team’s first FIFA World Cup win since 1998.

Morocco dominated for extended spells at Kretsovsky Stadium, but resilient defending from the Iranians helped keep a clean sheet, before delivering the killer blow in the dying seconds after Ehsan Hajsafi curled in a free-kick from the left flank that Bouhaddouz headed past his own goalkeeper.

Wasteful finishing looked to have consigned this compelling contest at the Saint Petersburg Stadium to a goalless draw but Bouhaddouz's mistake in injury-time means Iran emerge as the early challengers to Spain and Portugal in Group B.

When Bouhaddouz nodded in at the near post, IR Iran's substitutes could not resist rushing onto the field and when the final whistle blew moments later they were sprinting over again in delight.

Morocco should at least take heart from a blistering first half an hour, during which their zip and zest deemed them virtually unplayable. But Hakim Ziyach, Ayoub El Kaabi and Mehdi Benatia all failed to capitalise.

Juan Antonio Pizzi's side dominated possession and passed the ball accurately throughout the match but their lack of urgency meant they could not bring the ball into the final third and failed to record a single shot on target all night.

Defensively, the Green Falcons were far from their best as they allowed Russia to physically dominate and score at will despite not spending extended spells of time in the Saudi defensive third.

Four years after failing to win a game at Brazil 2014, a late change saw Japan replacing Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic with Akira Nishino last month.

Having suffered two 2-0 friendly defeats to Ghana and Switzerland under Nishino's leadership, Japan appeared to be set for another World Cup struggle.

But a 4-2 win over Paraguay before arriving in Russia rekindled belief among the squad that they can battle their way out of a group also featuring Senegal and Poland.

After delivering the best-ever performance in a FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, France will be keen to put their bitter defeat to Portugal on home soil in the UEFA EURO 2016 final behind them by progressing at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Four years ago in Brazil, Les Bleus began their bid for glory with a 3-0 win over Honduras. 

Didier Deschamps has numerous attacking options at his disposal to ensure his team get off to a similarly free-scoring start in Kazan – but who will get the nod to join superstar Antoine Griezmann and young prodigy Kylian Mbappe in the forward line?

But first he has to hope Australia's Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk gives him the nod from the substitutes' bench.

Socceroos great Cahill is responsible for nearly half of Australia's 11 World Cup goals to date.

And although he is expected to start all three Group C games -- against France, Peru and Denmark -- on the bench, Cahill's dream of becoming just the fourth player after Brazil's Pele and Germans Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose to score in four World Cups remains intact.

At 38 years old, time is against the Australian, who says he has "spent a whole year getting ready for three games".

Cahill underlined his personal ambitions, and those of an Australia team hoping to stun Euro 2016 finalists France in Kazan, on Saturday.