Naft and Nasaji Victorious in First Division Semifinal clash

PFDC - The Brazil of Iran as many call the Abadani team of Sanat Naft are in a tight race in the Iranian first division semifinals for a place in the next year's Iranian Pro League (IPL).

Four teams are fighting to grab the two spots in IPL next year. Naft of Abadan, Esteghlal of Ahvaz, Shamooshak of Noshahr and Nasaji Mazandaran are the remaining contenders among the 32 participating teams.

The first division league games were played in two groups of 16 teams each. One group from Northern and the other from Southern Iran. Naft and Esteghlal of Ahvaz topped the Southern group and Nasaji and Shamooshak were the best two teams in the Northern competition.

In the first games of the semifinals, Nasaji comfortably passed Esteghlal at home 2:0 and Naft edged Shamooshak 1:0 in Abadan.

Naft 1 Shamooshak 0
Ali Jafari 80'
Ejection: Sirous Mahmoudi (Shamooshak)

Abadan, Takhti Stadium - Even the hot and humid weather of Abadan did not stop 15,000 fans from entering the stadium and watch their favorite team win the important match against Shamooshak of Noshahr.

Naft did everything but finding the net in the first 20 minutes of the game when attacks from all over the pitch could not materialize to a goal.

In the 57 minute of the second half, Naft's best chance was denied when Shamooshak defender shots away a ball on the goal line.

The stadium explodes when in 80 minute, Ali Jafari scores the winner for Naft when in between three or four players he shoots the ball in passed Shamooshak keeper Rahman Ahmadi.

Shamooshak should blame Tourani for the weak shot which was collected by Naft's keeper, Farhani to keep the home team the winner of the match. Naft could have scored the second when Farshad Falahatzadeh's cannon freekick went over the bar, barely missing the goal.

Naft players: Kazem Farhani, Farshad Falahatzadeh, Kambiz Mojademi (Rahim Khodajou), Ali Bakhtiarizadeh, Ali Jafari, Taher Hoveizeh, Alireza Daghagheleh, Abbas Hashempour, Safdar Youseflou, Omid Zahedi, Latif Jenami, Mohanned Al-Mahdi.

Shamooshak players: Rahman Ahmadi, Ali Sharifi, Mehdi Eini, Mohsen Bangar, Sirous Mahmoudi, Kianoosh Rahmati, Reza Eini (Esmaeil Tourani), Mostafa Mehdizadeh, S. Esfandiar Mohseni, Shahin Miri (Meisam Baou), Alireza Razaghian (Mehdi Jafarzadeh).

Rank/Team/Played/W/D/L/GF/GA/Points

1-Nasaji 1/1/0/0/2/0/3
2-Naft 1/1/0/0/1/0/3
3-Shamooshak 1/0/0/1/0/1/0
4-Esteghlal 1/0/0/0/0/2/0