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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. |
