Iran can advance to knockout stage with win over Hong Kong
Soccer Football - AFC Asian Cup - Group C - Iran v Palestine - Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar - January 14, 2024 Iran's Ehsan Hajsafi and Shahriar Moghanlou celebrate after the match REUTERS/Molly Darlington
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Loading...Tasnim – AL RAYYAN, Iran could move within touching distance of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 knockout stage with a win over Hong Kong when they meet in a Group C tie on Friday.
Three-time champion Iran opened its campaign with a 4-1 win over Palestine while Hong Kong needs the three points after suffering a 3-1 defeat to United Arab Emirates on Matchday One.
Iran has won each of its last six internationals against Hong Kong, outscoring them 16-1 across that stretch including a 4-0 win in its most recent encounter (November 2023) while its only previous meeting at the AFC Asian Cup ended in a 2-0 win to Iran (1968 group stage).
Hong Kong has failed to register a single win in the AFC Asian Cup playing 11 games so far (D3 L8), at least four more than any other side without a win (Palestine with seven games).
Four different Iran players scored on against Palestine, their joint-most record in an AFC Asian Cup game alongside a 5-0 win over Yemen in 2019. Only Australia had more goal scorers in a game – six against Uzbekistan in the 2011 semi-finals (6-0).
