Angola and Iran played out their final game in World Cup 2006 with the game ending in a 1-1 draw leaving both sides with a feeling of satisfaction heading home after three game campaigns.
With the competition in Germany being the first Angola has ever qualified they would have been pleased with the result which gave them plenty to be proud of after a draw in their previous game against Mexico.
Iran who were beaten by Mexico in their opening game will have been pleased not to leave Germany empty handed and will have plenty of memories.
The African’s did have an outside chance of making the second round but with Iran battling hard it became an impossibility, though for fourteen minutes it looked as if history could have been made by the minnows and outsiders in the competition.
After differing results in their previous games both sides started well and led by Figueiredo Angola made the better start but couldn’t force a breakthrough in the first half. The first chance however fell to Iran as Zandi was slipped in down the left hand side before his powerfully driven shot was saved by the goalkeeper at the near post, just failing to make connection on the rebound Iran’s first decent spell of play began to create more and Zandi may have felt that batter options were available on second look.
Both sides suffered early injury blows with players being substituted and the games pace slowed down because of the changes made. However Angola managed for force a decent save from the Iranian goalkeeper on more than one occasion as they pressed for the goal which would give them a chance of leapfrogging Mexico into second place.
The Angolans who had won many friends during the tournament due to their high paced game began to become forced back and started to make mistakes as in their first game against Portugal, whether it was their nerves or a lack of concentration in the hot sun they almost gifted Iran a vital goal on the twenty five minute mark. When a cross from the right was missed Ali Daei, made a terrible hash of an easy header about six yards out heading over the bar and with it Iran’s golden chance to take the lead was seemingly missed. Unmarked, the most experienced player of the Iranian team will have expected to do a lot better.
Two minutes later Daei came close again with a header, but his effort was cleared off the line by a well placed Angolan defender. In the action following Iran had a claim for a penalty turned down and Angola were forced to live on their nerves as in the end the ball ran out for a goal kick.
The second half started well for Angola and in the first minute they had a shot flash just wide of the Iranian goal through Mendonca. The Midfielder who had worked tirelessly to win the ball back all game worked space on the edge of the box for a shot, but his technique was just lacking and the ball hit powerfully faded away from the goalkeepers net before hitting the advertising hoardings.
Angola continued to press for their first goal of the World Cup but had Joao Ricardo to thank for saving them from conceding a goal on the hour mark when a viciously hit shot from Khatibi nearly found the back of the net. The Angolan keeper who is without a club was able o palm the ball away from danger and prevent his team from going behind.
Iran now became the better side and they looked slick on the ball but still couldn’t find a way to break an Angolan team down who were full of desire and desperate for a World Cup win in only their third match ever.
They took a step closer to three World Cup points half an hour from the end as Flavio headed in an excellent cross from the right.
With Iran attacking in constant wave their defense was negligible in marking the striker and he was more than grateful for the gift of his countries first finals goal.
The goal’s glory however was short lived as Angola conceded fifteen minutes from the end, after a Mardavikia corner swung in from the right was headed into the net by Bakhtiarizadeh to tie the game up at one each.
Neither side could find a break through in the closing minutes of the game and both ended up having to settle for a draw and one point each.
With the competition in Germany being the first Angola has ever qualified they would have been pleased with the result which gave them plenty to be proud of after a draw in their previous game against Mexico.
Iran who were beaten by Mexico in their opening game will have been pleased not to leave Germany empty handed and will have plenty of memories.
The African’s did have an outside chance of making the second round but with Iran battling hard it became an impossibility, though for fourteen minutes it looked as if history could have been made by the minnows and outsiders in the competition.
After differing results in their previous games both sides started well and led by Figueiredo Angola made the better start but couldn’t force a breakthrough in the first half. The first chance however fell to Iran as Zandi was slipped in down the left hand side before his powerfully driven shot was saved by the goalkeeper at the near post, just failing to make connection on the rebound Iran’s first decent spell of play began to create more and Zandi may have felt that batter options were available on second look.
Both sides suffered early injury blows with players being substituted and the games pace slowed down because of the changes made. However Angola managed for force a decent save from the Iranian goalkeeper on more than one occasion as they pressed for the goal which would give them a chance of leapfrogging Mexico into second place.
The Angolans who had won many friends during the tournament due to their high paced game began to become forced back and started to make mistakes as in their first game against Portugal, whether it was their nerves or a lack of concentration in the hot sun they almost gifted Iran a vital goal on the twenty five minute mark. When a cross from the right was missed Ali Daei, made a terrible hash of an easy header about six yards out heading over the bar and with it Iran’s golden chance to take the lead was seemingly missed. Unmarked, the most experienced player of the Iranian team will have expected to do a lot better.
Two minutes later Daei came close again with a header, but his effort was cleared off the line by a well placed Angolan defender. In the action following Iran had a claim for a penalty turned down and Angola were forced to live on their nerves as in the end the ball ran out for a goal kick.
The second half started well for Angola and in the first minute they had a shot flash just wide of the Iranian goal through Mendonca. The Midfielder who had worked tirelessly to win the ball back all game worked space on the edge of the box for a shot, but his technique was just lacking and the ball hit powerfully faded away from the goalkeepers net before hitting the advertising hoardings.
Angola continued to press for their first goal of the World Cup but had Joao Ricardo to thank for saving them from conceding a goal on the hour mark when a viciously hit shot from Khatibi nearly found the back of the net. The Angolan keeper who is without a club was able o palm the ball away from danger and prevent his team from going behind.
Iran now became the better side and they looked slick on the ball but still couldn’t find a way to break an Angolan team down who were full of desire and desperate for a World Cup win in only their third match ever.
They took a step closer to three World Cup points half an hour from the end as Flavio headed in an excellent cross from the right.
With Iran attacking in constant wave their defense was negligible in marking the striker and he was more than grateful for the gift of his countries first finals goal.
The goal’s glory however was short lived as Angola conceded fifteen minutes from the end, after a Mardavikia corner swung in from the right was headed into the net by Bakhtiarizadeh to tie the game up at one each.
Neither side could find a break through in the closing minutes of the game and both ended up having to settle for a draw and one point each.