10-man Al Gharafa stuns Persepolis at Azadi [VIDEO]

TEHRAN TIMES – TEHRAN, Al Gharafa of Qatar salvaged a draw against Persepolis football team in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.

In front of some 100,000 spectators in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, Persepolis was held to a 1-1 draw against Qatar’s Al Gharafa.

Iranian Al Gharafa striker Farhad Majidi was sent off by Ravshan Irmatov in the 72nd minute after receiving his second yellow card. Afterward, Persepolis put the visiting team under pressure but they were lacking a cutting edge.

Finally, Persepolis captain Ali Karimi opened the scoring with a shot which was deflected into the net by a Al Gharafa defender.

In the dying moments of the match, Lawrence Quaye equalized the match with a long-range shot.

“This is a great honor for Qatar football to hold Persepolis at the Azadi Stadium. Thanks to Persepolis because of its fans. It’s so wonderful that so many fans come to the stadium and support their team,” Al Gharaf coach Paulo Silas said in the post-match news conference.

Lauding Ali Karimi, the Brazilian coach added, “Karimi is an experienced player and helped Persepolis to attack us on their own soil.”

Persepolis remains top of the table with eight points.