Team Melli defeats Nicaragua in pre-WC friendly [VIDEO]

Swissinfo.ch – TEHRAN, With a goal from Mehdi Torabi after a quarter of an hour, the Iranian team led by the Portuguese Carlos Queiroz beat Nicaragua (1-0) in their last preparatory match at home before the start of the World Cup in Qatar 2022.

The Iranian team, which only featured local players and those from the Qatari league, boosted their self-esteem with a new victory. 

Queiroz’s team will arrive in Doha without losing in their last friendly matches. They drew with Senegal and beat Uruguay in September. They had only lost against Algeria, last June.

Mehdi Torabi’s goal was enough for Iran after fifteen minutes. He took advantage of a pass from Omid Noorafkan to beat the Nicaraguan team led by Chilean Marco Antonio Figueroa in their first-ever meeting.

The pace slowed in the second half due to numerous substitutions and interruptions, but Iran came away with a significant win before starting their World Cup journey.

Queiroz’s team is part of Group B of Qatar 2022 along with England, Wales, and the United States.