Saudi Arabia came from behind to collect a precious three points in Tehran after beating Asia’s other powerhouse Iran 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
Iran, seeking a fourth appearance in the finals, are now fourth in Group B with six points from five games, while the Saudis leapfrogged their rivals with seven points from five matches.
The two Asian powerhouses met at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, filled almost to its 100,000 capacity.
PHOTO: AP
Enthusiastic home fans chanted from the outset: “As always, Iran wins again,” and waved Iranian flags. However, their hopes were shattered with the loss, that allowed the Saudis to leapfrog them into third spot.
Iran drew first blood in the 56th minute when Masoud Shojaei, who plays at Osasuna in Spain, fired home a screamer from outside the penalty area to send the home crowd wild.
But defensive mix-ups cost the Iranians dear as the Saudis suddenly turned things around.
Ahamd al-Hazazi scored in the 78th minute from inside the box off a pass from Naif al-Dusari and Osama al-Harbi scored the winner in the 87th minute, stunning the fans into silence, with some chanting slogans against Iran national team coach Ali Daei and demanding his sacking.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is an avid player and fan, entered the stadium after 30 minutes amid cheers.
Newly appointed Saudi coach Jose Peseiro told reporters he was happy to secure an away win.
“Our players were able to take their chances and we secured a sweet victory in Tehran, which was like playing in an extraordinary situation,” said Peseiro, in reference to the massive crowd. “Currently both Koreas, Iran and we have the opportunity to make it to the World Cup finals, but I am telling you, we will fight to the end.”
Daei reacted angrily when he was inundated by reporters asking whether he would resign after his lackluster performance to date as national team coach.
“You reporters are not in a position to talk about my resignation. This is football — we lost to the Saudis on two accidents, but you should know that you can not mark the day I resign,” Daei said. “I accept the [responsibility for the] defeat and I apologize to the Iranian people. But we still have the opportunity to make it to the World Cup.”
Iran appeared in the World Cup finals in 1978, 1998 and 2006, but their only win to date was over the US in France in 1998.
Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team won bronze on Saturday at this year’s International Table Tennis Federation World Team Table Tennis Championships in London, matching the country’s best-ever finish at the regular tournament. Consisting of Lin Yun-ju, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7, Feng Yi-hsin, Kuo Guan-hong, Hong Jing-kai and Hsu Hsien-chia, the team won bronze after losing 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals. In the opening match, 24-year-old Lin played the first game against world No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto 11-5, but ultimately lost the next three closely contested games 9-11, 10-12 and 10-12. Feng then faced world No. 8 Sora Matsushima in
Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei advanced to the final of Britain’s Got Talent this weekend after receiving a Golden Buzzer during her live semi-final performance. Yang, a member of Taiwan’s Coming True Fire Group, awed judges and audiences with a high-intensity fire performance featuring flaming umbrellas, fire swallowing and spinning metal structures balanced with her legs. Judge Simon Cowell praised Yang as a star, while guest judge KSI reacted with amazement before pressing the Golden Buzzer, sending her to the finals. The dance group wrote on social media that the Golden Buzzer was “the highest honor” on the talent show, adding: “Twenty-three years
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, has died, the NBA team said in a statement on Tuesday, while the family of Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US pro sports league, announced the former Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets player had died after a battle with brain cancer. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement posted on social media. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” The statement did not provide
As Super Rugby fast approaches its playoff season it finds itself racing toward a reckoning with many issues that threaten the southern hemisphere tournament. A group of stakeholders met in the New Zealand city of Christchurch late last month to address problems that are making the future of the 31-year-old competition increasingly tenuous. The discussion was made more urgent by the decision by the owners of Moana Pasifika to fold the Auckland-based club for financial reasons. That followed the closure of the Melbourne Rebels at the end of the 2024 season, likewise because of financial difficulties. Problems addressed included player retention as more
RSS