AFC Asian Cup: Reality check for lackluster Iran after laboring to Hong Kong win
Sports Desk
A narrow 1-0 victory over Hong Kong was enough for Iran to secure a place in the AFC Asian Cup knockouts but head coach Amir Qalenoei was left with plenty to think about ahead of the encounters with more formidable oppositions in Qatar.
Often clueless in front of the goal and vulnerable in the backline, the Asian powerhouse had Mahdi Qayedi, who received a surprise callup on the eve of the tournament, to thank for the maximum points against an opponent that had been well-beaten by four goals when the two sides met in the World Cup qualifiers in November.
The 25-year-old bagged his second goal in Qatar in the 24th minute, when his composed effort from a tight angle found the bottom corner.
The result means a draw against the Untied Arab Emirates on Tuesday will see Iran progress as the Group C winner and get a test against an Asian minnow side in the last 16, but with Japan and South Korea on the horizon in the quarterfinals, Qalenoei, who was clearly frustrated on the touchline through the 90 minutes, knows there is much to improve if his team is to end a 48-year drought in the continent’s flagship international event.
“We somehow managed to win the game and stay on top of the group but the performance was definitely not what we were expecting,” said Iranian striker Mahdi Taremi, who had a quiet night at the Khalifa International Stadium before being substituted in the second half, adding: “The players were not mentally ready for the contest though I can’t find an explanation for that.”
Iranian fullback Ramin Rezaeian, meanwhile, rued “the missed opportunities in the early stages” which led to Hong Kong “finding the courage to push forward.”
The Iranian backline gave the ball away cheaply on a couple of occasions and, in fact, the final outcome could have been different, had it not been for the East Asian side – the lowest ranked team in the tournament – lacking the killer touch.
Despite the defeat, Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen was “proud” of his team’s display, saying: “We played against one of the top teams in Asia, 21st in the FIFA rankings, but we did not see the difference between the teams.”
“I spoke with the Iran coach before the match and I told him, for me Iran is alongside Japan and Korea Republic as top teams, but today I see my team as very strong. We created many chances, but we could not take our chances and score,” added the Norwegian.
Qalenoei, however, had other ideas.
“If you see the stats, you can see the difference in shots, possession and chances created. For sure, we still have some errors, but the players and the technical staff are all fighting hard and giving their best,” said the Iranian.