Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Terengganu: Islamic Republic of Iran stormed to a 14-0 win over Malaysia in their 2017 AFC Beach Soccer Championship campaign opener in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia on Sunday.
The result also saw Malaysia slip to a second successive defeat following the hosts’ 5-3 loss at the hands of Afghanistan in their opening Group A match some 24 hours earlier.
In what to be a sign of things to come, Mohammad Hoseyn Mirshamsi’s side team took an early third minute lead when Moslem Mesigar (pictured right) tapped the ball home, before Mohammadali Mokhtari doubled his side’s advantage with a close-range header.
Mesigar outwitted goalkeeper Nazri Sulaiman on seven minutes to add his second of the game and Farid Boulakbashi’s free-kick stretched Iran’s lead yet again.
A simple Mostafa Kiani tap-in and, with the match almost beyond reach for the Malaysians, a long-range strike by Mokhtari brought the first period to a sizzling conclusion.
Seyed Ali Nazem promptly scored Iran’s seventh after the restart and the drubbing continued for the hosts as Boulokbashi again beat the keeper three minutes later.
Worse was to come for Malaysia however, as Mokhtari scored once again, before Hamid Behzadpour’s bicycle kick delivered another shortly after.
Mohammad Ahmadzadeh’s free-kick, Boulakbashi’s third and fourth of the match as well as a fourth for Mokhtari duly put the lid on a fine Iranian performance and their first victory of the competition.
The top three finishers at the AFC Beach Soccer Championship will represent Asia at the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Nassau, Bahamas from April 27 to May 7.
Photo: AFC