Iranian Hazfi Cup:
Malavan edges Golgohar to book final spot
Reza Ja’fari bagged the match-winning strike with 15 minutes from normal time as Malavan FC walked away with a massive 1-0 victory at Golgohar Sirjan to progress to the Iranian Hazfi Cup final on Friday.
It was cagy affair in the first half at Sirjan’s Shahid Soleimani Stadium, with both sides failing to register a single shot on target.
The home side started on the front foot after the break and went close to break the deadlock on a couple of occasions, only to be denied by Malavan keeper Habib Farabbasi – the shootout hero in the last-eight victory over Sepahan.
The visiting side went ahead against the run of play, when Ja’fari, sent clean through by Mohammad Omri, went past Golgohar goalkeeper Mohammadreza Akhbari before tapping in his sixth goal in all competitions this season.
Golgohar desperately pushed for an equalizer but the visitors, who went down to 10 men after Saeid Karimi was sent off in the 93rd minute, held on in the 10 minutes of added time to reach the Iranian domestic cup final for the first time in 15 years, where they will be chasing a fourth title and a place in next season’s AFC Champions League Two.
2025.