Morocco edged out Iran in a 4-3 victory on Thursday in the Round of 16 showdown at the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.
The high-scoring match saw both teams battling fiercely to advance to the quarterfinals, but it was Morocco that claimed victory, sending the Iranian squad home.
The match started off quickly, with Iranian forward Mohammad Hossein Derakhshani scoring the opening goal just 4 minutes into the game. However, Morocco responded in the 7th minute when Otmane Boumezou found the back of the net, leveling the score at 1-1.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 11th minute when Iran’s Alireza Rafieipour accidentally scored an own goal, giving Morocco a 2-1 lead. Morocco capitalized on this momentum, with Soufiane El Mesrar netting another in the 17th minute, and Idriss Raiss El-Fenni scoring just before halftime in the 20th minute, extending Morocco’s advantage to 4-1.
Iran, determined to stage a comeback, saw Hossein Tayyebi score in the opening minute of the second half (21st minute), and Moslem Oladghobad followed with a goal just a minute later (22nd minute), narrowing the deficit to 4-3. Despite Iran’s relentless pressure, Morocco’s defense held strong, and they sealed the win with a crucial fifth goal.
Morocco’s victory comes after finishing second in Group E with 6 points, securing their spot in the knockout stage with wins over Tajikistan and Panama. However, they experienced a setback on Sunday with a 4-1 loss to Portugal, which forced them into a tough Round of 16 matchup against the Iranian team.
Ennywealth
