November 01, 2019
The national soccer team lost the third of its World Cup matches to Bahrain by a score of 1-0, a result that dropped Iran into third place and could stop Iran from advancing further.
But once again, action in the stands hung over the October 15 game as a number of the Bahraini fans showed disdain for Iran during the playing of the national anthems before the game started in Bahrain.
It was Iran’s third game of a series of eight in this elimination round.
There are five Asian teams in each group in this round. Iran is in Group C with Iraq, Bahrain, Cambodia and Hong Kong. Each team in the group plays each other team in a pair of home and away matches.
Iran has now beaten minnows Cambodia 14-0 and Hong Kong 2-0, while losing to Bahrain, a serious rival. It next plays its most serious opponent, Iraq, on November 14 in Basra. The second half of this round will then resume after Now Ruz.
Iraq now leads the group on point differential with seven points followed by Bahrain with seven, as each has two wins and a draw. Iran is in third place with six points on two wins and a loss. Hong Kong and Cambodia trail badly with a solitary point each.
Iran lost the game after defender Majid Hosseini mistimed his challenge and brought Mahdi Humaidan down inside the box in the 65th minute. Referee Valentin Kovalenko instantly pointed to the spot. Iraq’s Mohammad Al-Hardan slammed the ball passed goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand to easily score the only goal of the match.
As for the activity in the stands, Majlis Deputy Hossein Naghavi-Hosseini said the Bahraini government should be held to account for disrespecting Iran’s national anthem.
Naghavi-Hosseini, spokesman for the Majlis National Security Committee, described the Bahraini fans’ disrespect as a pre-planned and organized action and called for holding to account the Bahraini government for that.
He called on FIFA to ban Bahrain from hosting sports events. That is unlikely. But FIFA often fines host teams small amounts when fans are disorderly. The Iranian soccer federation has been fined multiple times for unruly fans.
The Mehr news agency said Naghavi-Hosseini asserted that the majority of the Bahraini fans and players showed disrespect for Iran’s national anthem, and claimed that was proof that the action was preplanned and organized.
Sports Minister Masud Soltanifar said Iran would file an official complaint with FIFA and the International Olympic Committee, although the Olympic Committee has nothing to do with World Cup soccer.
