Bahrain National Stadium thundered with cheers last night as Mohamed Yusuf Hardan’s 66th minute penalty shattered Iran’s aura of invincibility, just as reporter Mohammed Al A’Ali predicted.
The 1-0 victory in Round Two of the Fifa World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 joint qualification pushed Bahrain up to the second position in Group ‘C’ standings, currently led by Iraq.
The excitement at the stadium was at feverish pitch when Mahdi Faisal Al Humaidan was fouled and referee Valentin Kovalenko signalled for a penalty kick.
The noise subsided for a few seconds as the crowd waited with bated breath, setting their sights on Hardan who was preparing for what would be the most important moment of the match.
Hardan’s shot went beyond Iran goalkeeper Ali Reza Safarbeiranvand’s reach and into the net, sending the anxious spectators into a frenzy.
Last night’s loss was a jolt for Iran who were coming off a long unbeaten streak, including a 14-0 rout of Cambodia last week. They started off cautiously and had to wait until the 18th minute for a serious scoring attempt.
