Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tehran: Iran’s began their mission to qualify to the FIFA World Cup finals for a fourth time with a comfortable 4-0 win over the Maldives in the first-leg of their Brazil 2014 second round qualifier on Saturday.
The three-time AFC Asian Cup champions needed just four minutes to get on the scoreboard with Karim Ansarifard but any thoughts that there would be a repeat of the 9-0 mauling that Team Melli handed out when the two met in Tehran in the 1998 World Cup qualifiers were soon dispelled as the Indian Ocean islanders held out to just after the hour mark when the Saipa striker netted his and Iran’s second.
The second goal knocked the wind out of the Maldives’ sails and after Ali Karimi added a third in the 68th minute, Saeid Daghighi sealed the win with Iran’s fourth four minutes from full-time.
The return fixture takes place in Male on July 28