Iran’s national soccer team won over Uzbekistan with a late goal in a warm-up for the 2018 World Cup qualifications on Thursday (June 11).
Newcomer Mehdi Torabi, wearing the national team’s jersey for the first time, scored the only goal of the match in the stoppage time to give Iran a much needed victory against its rival, Varzesh3.com reported.
The 20-year-old Saipa player Torabi came to the field as a substitute in the second half and showed good performance for his first national experience. His 93rd-minute goal was a boost to Iran’s morale ahead of its June 16 match against Turkmenistan as part of the 2018 World Cup qualifications.
The relatively young team assembled by the Portuguese head coach Carlos Queiroz featured five first timers, suggesting that the team is going through a transition so that young talent can have a chance to play for Team Melli.
Queiroz was pleased with the score line, saying winning a tough game against Uzbekistan, a powerhouse of football in Asia, was an achievement for a team of such age and experience.
Iran is expected to easily top Group D of the World Cup qualifications, which also includes Oman and Guam, two lesser known football teams in Asia.
