Torabi's last-gasp goal gives Iran win over Uzbekistan in friendly
Iran’s newcomer Mehdi Torabi has scored a late goal to give Iran a much needed victory against Uzbekistan in a warm-up for 2018 world Cup qualifications.
Torabi’s 93rd minute goal poured cold water on the Uzbeks in Tashkent’s Bunyodkor Stadium on Thursday.
The relatively young team assembled by Carlos Queiroz featured some debutants, including Torabi and Mohammad Hossein Kanani Zadegan, showing that the Portuguese is adamantly seeking to refurbish the Team Melli.
Queiroz, who reached an agreement with Iran on the extension of his contract just recently, has seen his popularity diminish following reports that he demanded wages which did not match his 2014 World Cup performance.
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.
He said the Iranian team is going through a transition and many of the players do not have the necessary experience for playing in the national jersey.
The victory against Uzbekistan was a boost to Iran’s morale ahead of its June 16 match against Turkmenistan as part of 2018 World Cup qualifications. Iran is favorite to top the Group D of the games, which also includes Oman and Guam, two lesser known football outfits in the Asia region.
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