Saint Petersburg: Iran’s players stormed the pitch at full-time as if they had won the World Cup rather than just their opening match after an own goal from Morocco’s Aziz Bouhaddouz gifted them a dramatic 1-0 victory on Friday.
Wasteful finishing looked to have consigned this compelling Group ‘B’contest at the Saint Petersburg Stadium to a goalless draw until Bouhaddouz’s unfortunate intervention as he tried to clear Ehsan Haji Safi’s cross but only directed it past his own goalkeeper.
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz, once of Real Madrid and Manchester United, insisted the chaos that has engulfed Spain this week offered no boost to these teams’ chances, but this victory certainly cranks the pressure up.
When Bouhaddouz nodded in at the near post, 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.
Instead, Iran showed the same grit that had frustrated Argentina for 91 minutes four years ago but while Lionel Messi was the difference that day, this time it was their turn to snatch a last-gasp winner.
Their build-up had not been smooth. Nike had blocked the players’ supply of boots four days previous while further back, friendlies against Greece and Kosovo were cancelled. It gave Queiroz good reason for positioning his team as the group’s outsiders.
