Stubborn Iran pull it out of fire

IRAN’S famed defence again proved unbreachable for the whole of their World Cup Group B opener against uncompromising Morocco yesterday as the African nation had much the best of the contest and ran out 1-0 winners.

The two outsiders in the group were relatively cautious in a game neither can afford to lose, though after Morocco fashioned a handful of half-chances they needed a good save to deny Sardar Azmoun just before the interval. Iran got the crucial goal in the dying minutes of the game courtesy of Aziz Bouhaddouz.

●The constant din that accompanied the 2010 World Cup in SA returned for football’s showpiece event eight years on as Morocco and Iran clashed in Saint Petersburg to the noise of screeching vuvuzelas.

The two-foot long tube with a plastic horn at the end became a global phenomenon in 2010 and divided opinion as the instrument, widely used at games in Africa, wasn’t popular with television viewers despite adding to the atmosphere. The noise of their return reverberated around the 65 000 capacity Saint Petersburg stadium with both sets of fans enthusiastically blowing vuvuzelas at every attack.

Posters on social media were largely unhappy with the development, including former England great Gary Lineker. There was also concern by animal rights campaigners on Thursday when a video of a bear in the back of a truck playing a vuvuzela in the aftermath of Russia’s 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia was widely shared on social media.