Southern blues breeze past league leader

MNA - Legendary Ahmad-Reza Abedzadeh bode well for Esteqlal of Ahvaz.
The blue-clad southerners thrashed the fourth Iran Pro League leader Fulad 3-1 in the 11th-week derby in Takhti Stadium, Ahvaz, Thursday.

Alireza Daghagheleh, Amir Khalifeh-Asl, and Yadollah Akbari hit three for Esteqlal and Fulad's Lefteh Hamidi pulled one back.

Fulad came close to the second in the 90th minute when striker Ahmad Mo'menzadeh saw his penalty kick be saved by Sasha Ilic.

Former national keeper and skipper Abedzadeh Sunday returned tothe soccer world as a trainer of the Ahvaz-based Esteqlal.

He signed a one-year contract with the club and started his work as the goalkeeping coach immediately.

Abedzadeh got 79 caps as he played his first national game in an Olympic Games qualifier against Kuwait in the Qatari capital Doha in Feb. 1982, which Iran won 2-1 and hung his boots following the exit from 1998 France World Cup after a 2-0 loss to Germany in Montpellier.

The 188cm-high ever-smiling goalie was in the spotlight worldwide in Dec. 1997 when Iran held Australia 1-1 and 2-2 due to his spectacular saves and national hero Khodadad Azizi's goals in the two-legged 1998 World Cup playoffs in Tehran and Melbourne respectively, which helped the Asian powerhouse qualify for the most prestigious soccer event after 20 years.

Iran was overwhelmed with grief on March 2, 2002 as the bad news on Abedzadeh's brain hemorrhage spread.

He underwent a brain surgery in Kasra Hospital in central Tehran the day after and narrowly survived.

SABA STUNNED

Saba Battery was beaten by the visitor Zob Ahan 2-1 in Derakhshan Stadium, Sabashahr, Thursday.

Mehdi Rajabzadeh opened the scoring for the Isfahani side Zob on nine minutes and Hamid Shafiei made it 2-0 in the 30th minute.

The visitor lost a gilt-edged opportunity in the last minute of the first half as Reza Habibi did not convert a penalty kick.

Saba's national skipper Ali Daei minimized the gap 10 minutes from time.

The results of the two matches helped Zob Ahan leapfrog Fulad, taking the top spot on 24 points.

Torrential rain in northern city Rasht canceled Pegah-Persepolis match. The Football Federation is to reschedule the postponed 11th-week game.

In Friday’s games, Fajr thrashed Abu Moslem 4-1, Pas whitewashed Saipa 3-0, Malavan beat Shamushak 2-1, Sepahan overcame Barq 2-0, and Esteqlal of Tehran defeated Paykan 2-1.