Iran’s Team Melli beats Lithuania 1-0 in final warm-up before FIFA World Cup
The Iran men's national football team, domestically known as Team Melli, has chalked up a last-gasp win in its last warm-up match before starting its campaign at the 2018 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Russia.
Team Melli edged past the Lithuanian side 1-0 at the end of a game reportedly played behind closed doors at the multi-purpose Spartak Stadium in the Russian capital city of Moscow.
Both teams failed to score a goal in the first half and went into the cloakrooms tied at nil.
After the break, the Iranian footballers were fervently in search of a scoring chance as the clock was ticking away and the match was drawing to a close.
It was not until two minutes from the regulation time, when Iranian striker Karim Ansarifard, who plays as a forward for Greek club Olympiacos, placed the ball in the back of the net to score the winner.
During the official 2018 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony at Kremlin State Palace in the Russian capital city of Moscow on December 1 last year, Team Melli joined the Portugal national football team, nicknamed A Selecção, Spain’s La Furia Roja and Atlas Lions of Morocco in the preliminary round of the tournament.
The host nation, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay form Group A in the upcoming quadrennial international sports event.
France is drawn in Group C, and is pitted against Australia, Peru and Denmark.
Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria are drawn in Group D.
Group E consists of Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia.
While the 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea shape Group F, Belgium, Panama, Tunisia and England are in Group G.
Group H has Poland, Senegal, Colombia and Japan.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 14 to July 15. Russia will open the event against Saudi Arabia in a Group A fixture at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.
A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities.
Iran will start its World Cup campaign against Morocco at Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on June 15.
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