Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: With March 28 and the opening fixtures in the final round of qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup looming ever larger, join the-afc.com as we rewind to 1996 - a tournament that featured a stunning quarter-final performance by Ali Daei.
What: Korea Republic 2 Iran 6 (AFC Asian Cup Quarter-final)
When: December 16, 1996
Where: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
When Islamic Republic of Iran legend Ali Daei retired in 2007, he did so as the most prolific striker in the history of international football, but, as might be expected, it didn't happen overnight.
Midway through 1996 Daei - by then already 27-years-old - had only scored seven of his eventual 109 goals for Iran, but the next six months would produce 22 international goals and culminate in one of the greatest individual performances in the history of Asian football.
Team Melli arrived at the 1996 AFC Asian Cup with a strong squad including Daei, who had bagged 12 goals in qualifying, as well as the precocious talents of Khodadad Azizi, Karim Bagheri and future star Mehdi Mahdavikia.
Despite a shaky start to the tournament, losing 2-1 to neighbours Iraq in their first match, Iran hit back with commanding wins over Thailand (3-1) and Saudi Arabia (3-0), with Daei scoring in all three of the Group B matches.
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