FIFA Futsal World Cup:
Iran sent packing by Morocco in last-16 thriller
Iran’s Futsal World Cup campaign came to a disappointing end in Uzbekistan after a 4-3 loss to African champion Morocco in the round of 16.
Stepping into the game on the back of a perfect record in the group stage, Vahid Shamsaei’s men started on the front at the Bukhara Universal Sports Complex and took the lead in the fourth minute through Mohammadhossein Derakhshani, who converted Moslem Oladqobad’s quick pass.
The bright start, however, was followed by lapse of concentration and a series of errors by the Iranians as the Asian powerhouse trailed by three goals at halftime.
Khalid Bouzid drew the Atlas Lions level in the seventh minute, before a Moroccans’ kick-in went in off Iranian Alireza Rafieipour’s leg four minutes later.
Soufiane El Mesrar doubled Morocco’s lead in the 17th minute and then Idriss Raiss El Fenni’s volley rounded off a fine buildup play right before the interval for one of the goals of the tournament.
A promising start to the second half for Iran saw Hossein Tayebi pull one back with a trademark finish less than 30 seconds in, before Oladqobad fired home into top corner one minute later.
With the clock ticking down, Iran used the power play with Ali-Asghar Hassanzadeh coming on, though they still found it tough to make it through an organized Moroccan defense.
The final buzzer sent the Africans into a frenzy, but their celebration was short-lived as the referee pointed to the second penalty spot following a video review, giving Iran a lifeline right at the death.
However, Sajjad Yousefkhah hit the post with the last kick of the game and Iran failed to progress beyond the World Cup last-16 for the first time since the 2012 edition.
Meanwhile, Morocco, the first African team to beat Iran in the World Cup, headed into a second successive quarterfinal and will take on Brazil on Sunday.
“The World Cup is over for us and there are no words to say,” a devastated Shamsaei said after the game, adding: “We had two different halves today; very poor in the first but much in control in the second. That is what happens when you don’t convert your chances. The luck wasn’t on our side. All the best to Morocco.”
Elsewhere in the last-16 round, Dauren Tursagulov’s last-gasp winner clinched a shock 2-1 win for Kazakhstan over defending champion Portugal.
In an end-to-end encounter, Chingiz Yessenamanov’s opener was canceled out by Portuguese Zicky before Tursagulov scored with 14 seconds remaining.