Iran became the first team from Group D to secure a spot in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Thailand 2024 quarter-finals following a thrilling 5-3 win over Bahrain yesterday.
Saeid Abbasi starred with two goals for Iran, who will face Kuwait tomorrow, while Bahrain take on Afghanistan.
Bahrain will be disappointed with the result after having twice taken the lead in the pulsating tie.
Iran dominated the early minutes, channelling a barrage of shots in the direction of Bahrain keeper Sayed Abbas, with Alireza Rafiei Pour’s attempt grazing the left post in the opening minute.
Abbasi should have scored for the 12-time champions in the third minute when Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh sent a through ball to the top of the box, only for the Iran No 9 to hit his effort straight into the arms of Abbas.
Abbas then denied Mahdi Karimi twice, first keeping out an angled shot from the left and then a long range effort from the centre before the Bahraini custodian foiled Rafiei Pour’s shot from distance and then producing a point blank save to keep Abbasi out.
Iran were left frustrated again when Behrooz Azimihematabadi appeared to have found the right angle in the sixth minute from just outside the box only for his effort to be denied by the right post.
Bahrain gradually settled down and took the game to Iran and were rewarded in the 10th minute when Ali Alaraibi slotted home the rebound after his initial effort was blocked by Iran keeper Bagher Mohammadi.
Iran responded immediately, Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh’s clever set-piece finding Rafiei Pour, who dinked the ball past Abbas.
However, Bahrain struck again with two minutes left on the clock when Mohamed Alsandi sent a delightful through ball for Saleh Sanjar to strike home from close range.
Sanjar had a chance to further extend Bahrain’s advantage but was denied from the spot by Mohammadi just before the break.
Iran came out fighting in the second half and levelled the score in the 22nd minute when Abbasi found an unmarked Karimi, who finished with aplomb from inside the box.
Iran then took the lead for the first time seven minutes later through Abbasi’s effort from a tight angle but their joy was short-lived as Bahrain refused to give up.
The team equalised a minute later with Ali Alaraibi initiating the move from his defensive end before finishing a well-orchestrated team move himself from close range.
Iran underlined their superiority when they regained the lead in the 33rd minute with Azimihematabadi striking a powerful shot from the edge of the box which escaped the clutches of Abbas
Abbasi scored Iran’s fifth goal when he pounced on Alsandi’s poor pass before sending the ball from above the half-way line into an unattended goalmouth to seal the victory.
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