Iran stomps Malaysia in 2017 AFC Beach Soccer Championship
The Iranian men's national beach soccer team has vanquished the hosts in the preliminary round of the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Beach Soccer Championship in Malaysia.
The Iranians recorded a crushing victory on the Pantai Batu Buruk beach in the northeastern Malaysian city of Kuala Terengganu on Sunday, romping to a 14-0 victory over the Malaysian outfit in their opening Group A fixture.
The Iranian squad took an early lead through forward Moslem Mesigar, who curled the ball into the corner of the net to make it one-nil in the third minute.
Mohammad Ali Mokhtari doubled his side’s advantage shortly afterward with a close-range header.
In the 7th minute, Mesigar outwitted Malaysia’s goalkeeper Nazri Sulaiman to score a brace. Farid Boloukbashi’s free-kick increased Iran’s lead after that.
Mostafa Kiani then netted a simple tap-in, before a long-range strike by Mokhtari put the Persians 6-0 ahead at the conclusion of the first period.
Iran’s seventh goal came quickly after the break, when Seyyed Ali Nazem could well find the back of the hosts’ net.
Three minutes later, Boulokbashi got the better off Sulaiman again.
Mokhtari scored a hat trick then, before Hamid Behzadpour’s bicycle kick delivered another blow to the Malaysians shortly after.
Mohammad Ahmadzadeh’s free-kick, Boulakbashi’s third and fourth goals of the match in addition to a double brace by Mokhtari sealed Iran’s first comfortable win of the competition.
The 2017 AFC Beach Soccer Championship kicked off in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, on March 4, and will wrap up on March 11, 2017. The top three teams will qualify for the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in the Bahamas.
Iran is pitted against Afghanistan, Bahrain, China and Malaysia in Group A. Lebanon, Oman, Thailand and Uzbekistan are drawn in Group B. Iraq, Japan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates shape Group C.
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