Heartbreak for Syria as Iran win nail-biting Asian Cup clash on penalties
Al Jazeera
Iran scrape past underdogs Syria in a penalty shootout to set up a quarterfinal blockbuster against Japan.
Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Qatar – What do you get when you take two football-mad countries, pit them against each other in a compact stadium and put a championship knockout berth on the line?
Iran vs Syria at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday night – fighting for the last remaining quarterfinal spot in the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
Iran emerged the winner after a penalty shootout was needed to separate the teams following a 1-1 result at the end of extra time.
It was an end-to-end contest that captivated the spectators for more than two hours and the underdog’s fight that Syria showed.
Iran started the game as favourites on many counts.
