Iran’s Women’s Football Team keep Olympic hopes alive
Tehran Times – DOHA, Iran’s women’s football team thrashed Palestine 9-0 in Group C of Round Two of the AFC Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Qualifiers to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Iran now have a chance of qualifying for the third round if they can defeat Chinese Taipei on Tuesday.
In the match held at Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Samaneh Chakandi was on target just four minutes into the match, before Hajar Dabbaghi added goals in the 20th and 22nd minutes to have them three goals clear with three quarters of the match still to play.
Mona Hamoudi scored either side of half-time to stretch the deficit to five, and Sara Ghomi found the back of the net within a minute of coming off the bench to bring up the half-dozen in the 56th minute.
Iran captain Zara Ghanbari added another one in the 67th minute, before she and Ghomi became the third and fourth players to score twice on the day, when they added the final two goals in the 82nd and 83rd minutes.
Chinese Taipei also defeated the Philippines 4-2 in the group.
Iran remain three points adrift of group leaders Chinese Taipei, but their whopping goal difference of +7 means they have every chance of advancing should they muster a repeat performance on Tuesday.