Ali Daei’s side took advantage of the opportunity when the Singaporean player Esmaeil Yunes was sent off in the 40th minute. Yunes was shown a red card for a bad tackle on Mohammad Reza Khalatbari.
Approximately 10,000 spectators were delighted two minutes later when Majid Gholamnejad opened Singapore’s goal. Arash Borhani sent a low cross from the left side which was badly cleared by Singapore’s defender and the goalie Lionel Lewis failed to save Gholamnejad’s powerful shot from the outside of the box.
Captain Karim Bagheri doubled the score seven minutes into the second half, finding himself unmarked in the box he opened the Singaporean goal.
An incisive Iranian counter-attack brought them their third goal. Gholamreza Rezaei received a short pass from Arash Borhani into the six-yard box and chipped it past Singapore’s keeper in the 55th minute.
Maziar Zare got himself on the score sheet in ten minutes remaining as well. The Persepolis player received a pass from Khalatbari outside of the box and his shot comfortably past the East Asian team’s goalie.
Two goals from Mohammad Nouri sealed a decisive 6-0 victory for Iran in its opener. His first goal came in the 83rd minute when he received a low cross in front of the goal which was converted into a goal. Shortly after, his header rubbed salt into the 10-man team’s wounds.
Iran has been drawn alongside Singapore, Thailand and Jordan in Group E of the 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Only the top two teams will reach the 2011 Asian Cup finals in Qatar.
More photos: http://www.iranproleague.net/index.php/photos/view/13