Iraq beat Taiwan 2-0 in Cup qualifier

Reuters





Taiwan were beaten 2-0 by Iraq in their FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifier at the National Stadium in Kaohsiung last night as they continued the search for their first points in Group F.

Dhurgham Ismael put the visitors ahead in the 19th minute and Younis Mahmoud made sure of the points for the visitors five minutes from time.

Iraq have eight points from four matches, while Taiwan are still pointless after five matches, with just one match remaining, away to Vietnam on March 24 next year.

Iraq’s Dhurgham Ismael, center, celebrates his goal against Taiwan in their World Cup qualifier in Kaohsiung last night. Photo: Lin Tsung-wei, Taipei Times

The win for Iraq set up a potentially thrilling showdown with group leaders Thailand, also on March 24 next year.

Earlier yesterday, Iran, missing four players and two coaching staff because of visa issues, brushed aside the challenge of Guam 6-0 in Group D in a match in which both sides were reduced to 10 men.

Mehdi Taremi (two), Kamaleddin Kamyabinia, Ramin Rezaeian, Masoud Shojaei and Karim Ansari Fard scored the goals on the artificial surface at the National Football Stadium in the tiny Pacific Ocean island.

North Korea’s So Hyon, left, and Bahrain’s Abdulla Shallal compete for the ball during their World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang, North Korea, yesterday. Photo: AP

The win lifted unbeaten Iran to 14 points, three clear at the top of the Group D standings, with their remaining two fixtures at home to India and Oman in March next year.

Only the eight group winners and four best runners-up progress to the third round of Asian qualifying and also book a spot at the 2019 Asian Cup.

Their previous fixture in Tehran, which Iran won 6-0 in September, was also marked by visa issues for the visiting team, who were eventually granted full entry a day before the match.

Iran had no such luck with four players and two staff unable to accompany the team.

Iran skipper Andranik Teymourian missed his side’s 3-1 win over Turkmenistan on Friday to fly to Doha and get a US visa to travel to Guam, Iranian media reported.

Still, the visitors were never in trouble against Guam.

Taremi opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute after being slipped through by Mehdi Torabi, who was forced off later in the half because of injury.

Kamyabinia scuffed a right-foot shot into the corner of the net for the second in the 32nd minute, before three goals in four second-half minutes killed the contest.

Rezaeian notched, before John Matkin was sent off for hauling down Taremi and substitute Shojaei slotted in the resulting 53rd-minute penalty. Ansari Fard then added another against an increasingly disjointed Guam.

Taremi grabbed a second, before goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was sent off after handling outside the penalty area and taking out Guam striker Shane Malcolm.

Iran defender Ezatollah Pourghaz was forced to play in goal for the final 20 minutes of play after the visitors had made all their substitutions.

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia striker Mohammad al-Sahlawi scored five goals to lead his team to a 10-0 thumping of East Timor in their Group A qualifier in Dili.

Al-Sahlawi, who has been one of the standout performers during the qualifiers, scored twice in the first half, then three more times in the second as Saudi Arabia made light work of their outclassed opponents.

Yahya al-Shehri, Osama Hawsawi, Taisir al-Jassim, Naif Hazazi and Fahad al-Muwallad also got on the score sheet, while the hosts’ woes were compounded when Adelino de Oliviera was sent off in the 88th minute for picking up a second booking.

Saudi Arabia’s emphatic win extended their lead at the top of the Group A standings to six points and left them in a commanding position to advance to the third qualifying round.

In Group H, North Korea beat Bahrain 2-0.

Additional reporting by staff writer