News / Sports

Iranian footballers beat Montenegro 2-1 in exhibition game

Monday, 05 June 2017 8:15 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 05 June 2017 11:40 AM ]

Iran men's national football team (file photo)

Iran men's national football team, domestically known as Team Melli, has defeated Montenegro in a preparation match for the forthcoming fixture against Uzbekistan at the third round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament.

On Sunday evening, the Iranian outfit notched a 2-1 win over the Hrabri sokoli (The Brave Falcons) at the all-seater and multi-purpose Podgorica City Stadium in the Montenegrin capital city of Podgorica.

Iran’s 27-year-old Ramin Rezaeian picked up a long volley in the left corner of the hosts’ side of pitch in the 11th minute. He slammed a header to let teammate Mehdi Torabi get the possession of the ball.

Torabi then ran down the ball quickly and played a pass opposite the 6-yard box to professional forward Sardar Azmoun, who plays as a striker for FC Rostov in the Russian Premier League.

Azmoun did not hesitate and cracked a shot to place the ball into the corner of Montenegro’s net and open the scoring for the visitors.

In the 32nd minute, Stevan Jovetić, who plays as a striker for Spanish club Sevilla FC on loan from Milan-based professional Italian football club Internazionale, held Iran to a one-all draw.

Azmoun scored for Team Melli once again shortly after the hour mark to seal Iran’s victory.

The Iran men’s national football team will play against Uzbekistan’s White Wolves in the third round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament on June 12.

The game will be start at Azadi Stadium in western Tehran at 9:15 p.m. local time (1645 GMT).

The Islamic Republic of Iran is pitted against South Korea, Uzbekistan, China, Qatar and Syria in Group A of the third round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament.

Asian powerhouse Japan is drawn in Group B, and has joined Australia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Thailand.

The winner and runner-up of each group (four teams in total) will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, while the third-placed teams of each group (two teams in total) will head to the play-off round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The winner of the Asian play-off round will then face twice the fourth-placed squad in the fifth round of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) qualifying games.

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