Iran vs Syria at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday night – fighting for the last remaining quarterfinal spot in the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
Iran emerged the winner after a penalty shootout was needed to separate the teams following a 1-1 result at the end of extra time.
It was an end-to-end contest that captivated the spectators for more than two hours and the underdog’s fight that Syria showed.
Iran started the game as favourites on many counts.
Higher ranking: Iran is second in Asia and 21st in the world in FIFA’s men’s rankings, compared with Syria’s 91st position in the world and 13th in Asia.
Iran took the lead when their star forward Mehdi Taremi converted a penalty in the 34th minute, but Syria kept mounting pressure on the Iranian goal.
Their efforts paid off when they were awarded a penalty in the second half and Omar Khribin stepped up to convert it and send Syria’s fans into dreamland.
And when Taremi was sent off in injury time, Syria felt the one-man advantage could help them sneak a winner.
In the end, what separated them on the field after more than two hours of action was one saved penalty kick.
When Ehsan Hajsafi successfully converted Iran’s last penalty to make it 5-3 in the shootout, Syrian players dropped to the ground in disbelief. In the stands, their fans wore a look of shock. Children with their faces painted with the Syrian flags sobbed but some fans, like Adnan Yazbek, said they were immensely proud of the team.
