Own Goal Helps Iran To Late Win Over Morocco

Aziz Bouhaddouz scored a 95th-minute own goal to hand Iran a fortuitous 1-0 win over Morocco in the opening World Cup Group B game on Friday.

The forward, on as a substitute, headed an Iran free-kick past Monir El Kajoui at his near post to leave his team with nothing after a dominant display.

Herve Renard’s African side, at the World Cup for the first time since 1998, sparkled in the first 30 minutes, but failed to find the net despite creating good chances.

Bouhaddouz’s late own goal sparked huge joy among Iran’s players and staff, who wildly celebrated just their second ever win at a World Cup.

Morocco largely dominated in the first half, although Iran proved dangerous on the counter-attack, in a game soundtracked by the constant buzz of vuvuzelas in a close-to-capacity Saint Petersburg Stadium.

Amine Harit volleyed narrowly wide in the opening stages, with Younes Belhanda heading over the bar from Noureddine Amrabat’s dangerous cross.

Harit was particularly hard for Iran’s defence to handle and Roozbeh Cheshmi was issued an early yellow card for bringing him down.

Morocco came close to taking the lead after 19 minutes, with Belhanda seeing an effort blocked in a goalmouth scramble, before Ali Beiranvand saved Juventus defender Mehdi Benatia’s shot at close quarters.

However Morocco goalkeeper El Kajoui was forced into a smart double save before the break, when Sardar Azmoun ran through on goal, but could not find the killer touch.

Real Madrid defender Achraf Hakimi, deployed on the left side, helped keep Iran forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh, top scorer in the Dutch top flight last season, quiet.

Morocco ran out of steam in the second half, with Iran holding onto the ball for longer, slowing the game down.

Amrabat had to be substituted for his younger brother Sofyan Amrabat in the 76th minute after suffering a blow to the head, a further setback for French coach Renard’s side.

The lively Hakim Ziyach forced Beiranvand into another good save with a vicious low effort from the edge of the box as the game entered its final stages, before Bouhaddouz accidentally settled it in Iran’s favour in the fifth minute of six added on.

The goal earned Iran their first World Cup win since their only previous triumph, when they beat the United States 2-1 on June 21, 1998.