ONE TO WATCH: ALIREZA HAGHIGHI (IRN)

With Iran in dire need of goals to wrestle a runners-up finish in their group and advance to the Round of 16, the Iranian team will have to rely on goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi to keep watch and fend off goals from their upcoming opponents Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday at Brazil 2014.

Haghighi was the golden goalkeeper in Iran’s two previous matches in Group F with the six-foot-four-inch man managing to keep a clean sheet during the first clash against Nigeria and later conceding only one goal, in extra time, to Lionel Messi, in their second clash with Argentina.

The 26-year old is a product of the Persepolis youth academy and made his debut for the Tehran giants in 2006 at the age of 18 when he famously stopped a penalty by the legendary Ali Daie. During the 2008-2009 season, he was lucky to play a lot of games after first-choice goalkeepers Misagh Memarzadeh and Mehdi Vaezi were injured.

In 2012, he signed a four-year contract with Rubin Kazan, making him the first Iranian to play in the Russian Premier League. He is only the second Iranian goalkeeper to play professionally in Europe, following Nima Nakisa who worked in Albania and Greece. In 2013, Haghighi went on loan back to Persepolis and then Portuguese second division outfit Sporting Covilha.

Haghighi has a long history of playing for the national team at all age levels. He started his senior national team career in 2010 when he was called up by then coach Afshin Ghotbi. He has made eight appearances for Team Melli so far.

Photo: AFP