FIFA World Cup 2018- Iran wins Morocco 1-0

Iran's first World Cup match win since 1998

FT - And it's all over for the Moroccans. The African side dominated the match but lost the plot in the dying minutes with Iran emerging as winners through an own goal from Bouhaddouz. It is Iran's first World Cup match win since 1998.

• 95' - GOAL! Iran scored in the dying minutes. And it's an own goal from Morocco's Aziz Bouhaddouz, who headed in while defending an Iran free-kick
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• 94' - Free-kick for Iran from the left flank of the Morocco box in the final minutes of the match
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• 92' - Yellow Card! Booking for Iran's No. 10 Karim late in the contest
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• 90' - Six minutes added as stoppage time
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• 88' - Final minutes of the contest. Morocco searching for the goal without success. It's still 0-0 at St Petersburg
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• 84' - Substitution! Iran's Alireza Jahanbakhsh down with cramp (stretchered off the ground) and is replaced by Saman Ghoddos
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• 82' - Substitution! Third change for Morocco. Da Costa in for Harit
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• 80' - Great save from Iranian goalkeeper. Hakim Ziyech strike from 20 yards forced a very good save from Alirez Berianvend.
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• 79' - Substitution! Bad news for Iran. Ebrahimi is injured and replaced by Hosseini
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• 77' - Substitution! Another change for Morocco. Bouhaddouz replaced El Kaabi
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• 76' - Substitution! Injured N Amrabat out and his brother S Amrabat in for Morocco
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• 73' - Another player needed treatment on the ground, this time a Moroccan
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• 69' - Corner for Iran, but the Moroccan defenders were up to the mark.
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• 67' - Substitution! Iranian skipper Masoud Shojaei is replaced by No. 17 Taremi
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• 62' - Iranian goalkeeper punched the ball away from the Moroccan corner kick. The resultant counter-attack failed to enter the Morocco's final third
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• 60' - It's 0-0 between Morocco and Iran with 30 minutes left in the contest. No real chance on goal so far in the second half
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• 55' - Referee has stopped the proceedings as an Iranian player is down with some injury. Omid Ebrahimi walked off the pitch to get some treatment
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• 49' - Another good built-up by Moroccans in front of Iranian goal and another weak final touch. It's still 0-0 at St. Petersburg
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• 47' - Yellow Card! Early booking in the second half, it's for Iran's Alireza Jahanbakhsh

Here we go...second half begins

Download:  FIFA World Cup 2018 Match Schedule - Fixture in Indian Standard Time [Printable]

First Half Stats 

 Players are coming out to the middle for the second half. Can we expect some goals in the final 45 minutes?

HT - It's goalless at the half-time break. Morocco started aggressively and dominated the proceedings early in the match, but in the final ten minutes or so Iran made some progress in the contest

• 45' - Two minutes added as stoppage time
• 44' - Free-kick for Iran from a dangerous position. Iranian defender Haji Safi shot it above the crossbar
• 43' - Double save by Morocco goalkeeper from the one-on-one situation to thwart the Iranian counter-attack
• 39' - Easy save for Iranian goalie, after the Morocco striker Ayoub El Kaabi failed to reach the ball in front of the goal mouth
• 35' - The Iran free-kick took by Alireza Jahanbakhsh, from the foul by Al Aroos, went well above the crossbar
• 34' - Yellow Card! Booking for Karim El Ahmadi Al Aroos of Morocco. The second booking of the match
• 30' - Another good run from Morocco strikers from the left flank, but Amine Harit's shot was straight to the Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Berianvend
• 24' - Morocco defenders are in the middle of the action after a long time as Iran made few good counter attack in the last few minutes
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  20' - First real chance for Iran on the counter-attack. But the final touch was a soft one from Masoud Shojaei
  
  19' - Total chaos in front of the Iranian goal. But somehow the Asian team has avoided the goal. The resultant corner failed to trouble the Iran defenders
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  16' - Morocco have dominated the contest so far, but they are yet to register 'shot on goal'. All their attempts are going either wide or over the goal post
• 12' - Morocco has 80% possession so far in the match. Total control over the Iranians
• 10' - Yellow Card! First booking of the match went to Masoud Shojaei Soleimani of Iran
• 8' - It's a one-way traffic till now with Morocco in total control. Ayoub El Kaabi's shot from the edge of the box went just wide
• 4' - Good run by Morocco, this time from the right flank. Midfielder Belhanda's header from close range went just above the bar
• 2' - Early attack from Morocco. But the final touch from Amine Harit was wide.

20:30 IST: KICK-OFF TIME

Time for national anthems

20:25 IST: Players are entering the playing field with five minutes left in the kick-off time

Starting XIs

Morocco XI: Munir Mohamedi, Achraf Hakimi, Mehdi Benatia, Romain Saiss, Hakim Ziyech, Karim El Ahmadi, Ayoub El Kaabi, Younes Belhanda, Moubarak Boussoufa, Nordin Amrabat, Amine Harit.

Iran XI: Alireza Beiranvand, Ehsan Haji Safi, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Masoud Shojaei, Morteza Pouraliganji, Omid Ebrahimi, Karim Ansarifard, Vahid Amiri, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Sardar Azmoun, Ramin Rezaeian.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the first match of Group B between Morocco and Iran. The tie will start at 20:30 IST

Source: TOI