Injury time goals from Reza Ghoochannejhad and Alireza Jahanbaksh secured a dramatic 2-0 win for three-time FIFA World Cup qualifiers Iran over Qatar at the Azadi Stadium yesterday as Carlos Queiroz’s side made a winning start in their attempt to advance to Russia 2018.
Substitute Reza Ghoochannejhad capitalised on a horrendous mistake by Qatar goalkeeper Amine Lacomte to give the home side the lead four minutes into injury time before Jahanbaksh put the result beyond doubt with a fine long-range strike.
Iran controlled much of the opening proceedings, but it was the Qataris who fashioned out the better of the goal-scoring opportunities in the first 20 minutes. Sebastian Soria’s attempt from the tightest of angles in the 12th minute did little to trouble Alireza Beiranvand in the Iran goal.
Five minutes later Beiranvand was in action again, this time dropping to his left to keep out Hassan Al Haydos’ relatively tame effort after the Qatari captain had cut inside from the right.
Soon after the Iranians were turning their dominance of possession into attempts on goal and Ashkan Dejagah should have done better with his effort from outside the area rather than dragging his low shot well wide of the target.
Just after the half hour mark, Jahanbaksh had the Qatari goal in his sights after holding off the challenge of a pair of visiting midfielders before taking aim from the edge of the area. But, like Dejagah’s effort earlier, he did little to trouble Lacomte.
The game turned increasingly disjointed during the second half, with Iranian defender Jalal Hosseini going close to opening the scoring 17 minutes from time when he met Andranik Teymourian’s corner with a header that went just wide of Lacomte’s goal.
At the other end Boualem Khoukhi tried his luck from long range with a looping effort that only just bounced past Beiranvand’s left post.
But the best chance of the game was to fall to substitute Karim Ansarifard with just four minutes remaining.
Saeid Ezatohali made his way to the byline before playing back a cross that cut Lacomte out of the game, but Ansarifard’s glancing header was too fine and the ball flew across the face of the Qatar goal.
Ansarifard made amends, however, when Lacomte miscued his clearance with only seconds remaining, the Greece-based forward collecting the ball before laying it into the path of Ghoochanejhad, and the Heerenveen man gleefully slotted the ball home.
And with Qatar desperately pushing for an equaliser, Iran claimed a second just before the end when Jahanbaksh thumped his shot into the bottom corner from outside the area, giving Lacomte little chance.