Iran to Play Three Home Matches in Fan-Free Stadium: AFC

Mehr News  – Iran was banned from playing in front of home fans in its three future international games, announced the Asian Football Confederation Wednesday. 
Following the crowd trouble in the 100,000-setaer Azadi Stadium on Nov. 12, the AFC’s Disciplinary Committee also issued its verdict and named Iran the 3-0 winner over North Korea.

It also punished the Koreans as the Jordan was declared the 3-0 winner for Korea’s refusal to issue visas.

The confederation’s ban on Iran means it is forced to play three 2006 World Cup preliminaries at home in a stadium without spectators.

North Korea walked off the pitch of Azadi Stadium, 10km west of Tehran, in the 60th minute of its Asian Cup qualifier versus Iran when a firecracker was thrown onto the field, slightly injuring the Korean midfielder Su Hyok Chol.

According to Davoud Abedi, a reporter of Iranian News Channel, talking live on TV from the stadium, the injured Korean player was rushed to (Farabi) hospital.

He added the AFC will announce Korea the 3-0 winner if the doctors confirm the footballer has been seriously injured and Iran will be the winner with the same result if the player had feigned injury.

Later, Sadeq Doroudgar, an executive official of Iran's Football Federation, who was present in the hospital quoted Dr. Mirzaei as saying that the player has no physical problem and his vision has not been damaged and he had feigned.

Iran was ahead 1-0 in the second leg as veteran skipper Ali Daei converted a penalty three minutes before the incident. 

The Group D-bound Iran handed North Korea a 3-1 defeat in their first-leg match in Pyongyang on Oct. 29.

Here below comes the Group D table after the AFC’s decisions:

Group D

Iran 6 5 0 1 16 5 15

Jordan 6 5 0 1 13 6 15

Lebanon 6 1 1 4 2 8 4

North Korea 6 0 1 5 2 14 1

(Iran and Jordan qualify for finals in China)