It’s lift-off for Carlos as Iran make history
AFTER making history in a cacophonous cauldron of a stadium that was designed to look like a spaceship, Carlos Queiroz had a more measured message for the world: ‘I’m not Superman.’
The veteran manager guided his Iran side to the first opening World Cup victory in their history as Moroccan hearts were broken in St Petersburg after substitute Aziz Bouhaddouz’s injury-time own goal.
It was cruel luck on the North Africans, who had dominated the first half of the opening contest in Group B.
When the game degenerated into a niggling, cynical affair after the break it looked as though Russia’s World Cup would have its first goalless draw.
Instead it had another goal at the death.
And Iran had their first tournament victory in 20 years, a win that sparked wild scenes here on the banks of the Baltic Sea and even wilder ones on the streets of Tehran, the Iranian capital, where Queiroz was told tens of thousands were revelling.
‘I learned a lesson in my life. Superman is only the cartoons,’ smiled the manager after being clapped into the postmatch press conference by members of the Iranian media.
‘Nobody is Superman. What can happen once in a while is a group of people can come together united and work in harmony and they can create super things. But I am not a Superman, we just created a super result.’
If the result was super, the performance could hardly be classed as the same. Iran were forced to withstand a blistering Moroccan onslaught at the beginning of the contest.
Hakim Ziyach and Amine Harit were among those who went close to scoring in a frenetic opening.
In the wake of the turmoil that enveloped Spain on the eve of the tournament, Morocco had been favoured as the side more likely to take advantage and potentially turn Group B on its head.
As they stormed out of the gates and swarmed all over Iran, those predictions seemed well placed.
But Iran steadied themselves and the first half ebbed and flowed enthrallingly. The second half, however, did not. ‘We studied Morocco very carefully,’ said Queiroz, whose side now turn their focus to Spain with progress on their minds.
‘We knew that they would have a strong and powerful start. Full speed, full determination. Our strategy was to create a mental collapse in the Morocco players, creating frustration.’
They did just that. But
only as the clock ticked over into the mid-90s.
A silly foul presented Iran with a moment to snatch victory and they didn’t waste it. Ehsan Hajisafi whipped in a low freekick to the near post.
Bouhaddouz, under no pressure and only marking space, stooped and sent the Iranian hordes in St Petersburg into a frenzy. He left the field in tears.
‘It’s very painful when you’re defeated by an extended-time goal,’ lamented Morocco coach Herve Renard.
‘You pay the price if you make a mistake. Sometimes in football you have to know how not to lose.’
MOROCCO (4-2-3-1): EL KAJOUI 8; N Amrabat 7 (S Amrabat 75), Benatia 7.5, Saiss 7, Hakimi 7; El Ahmadi 6.5, Boussoufa 7; Belhanda 6, Ziyach 7, Harit 7.5 (Da Costa 81); El Kaabi 6 (Bouhaddouz 76). Booked: El Ahmadi. Manager: Herve Renard 7. IRAN (4-1-4-1): Beiranvand 6.5; Rezaeian 7, Cheshmi 6, Pouraliganji 5.5, Hajisafi 6; Jahanbakhsh 7 (Ghoddos 83); Shojaei 6 (Taremi 66, 6), Ebrahimi 6 (Montazeri 79), Amiri 6.5, Ansarifard 6.5; Azmoun 6. Scorer: Bouhaddouz og 90+5. Booked: Shojaei, Jahanbakhsh, Ansarifard. Manager: Carlos Queiroz 7. Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey) 6.5. Attendance: 62,548.