Marijo Tot lauds Team Melli performance against Syria
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Loading...Tasnim – AMMAN, Iran assistant coach Marijo Tot praised his players after an emphatic 3-0 victory over Syria on Matchday Six of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Group A on Tuesday.
Team Melli needed just over half an hour to open the scoring at King Abdullah II Stadium after Vahid Amiri supplied a fine overhead pass for Sardar Azmoun to give Iran the lead.
Ehsan Hajsafi doubled the advantage from the spot just before the break and Ali Gholizadeh sealed the victory late on with an impressive solo goal.
Head coach Dragan Skokic’s men extended their unbeaten run in the final stage of the AFC Asian Qualifiers to six games, reaching point 16 at the summit of the group despite the absence of their coach who was suspended for a previous dismissal, with Tot taking duty in his place on the night.
“Working with players like those with extraordinary footballing ability, character, and commitment makes your job as a coach easier,” said Tot.
“It was a very important game for us, and before we reached this stage we knew we had to show our quality to be able to handle this match. Winning these two games against Lebanon and Syria showed our character,” the Croat added.
Iran has edged ever closer to reaching the FIFA World Cup for the third time in a row, with the gap between them and third-place UAE now up to 10 points with four games to go, meaning they need a single win from their remaining four matches to officially qualify.
“The boys are playing with passion and enthusiasm in every game. I hope we can continue the same way to secure qualification to the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” Tot concluded.
