Drama-laden draw leaves Iran in limbo as Egypt set up last-32 clash with Australia

After review,” began nan Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, those 2 words breaking nan hearts of Iran aft they thought they scrambled an improbable 93rd-minute winner. Moments earlier, nan 37-year-old Shoja Khalilzadeh fired successful from nan separator of nan six-yard box, whipped disconnected his No 4 garment successful double-quick clip and slid connected to his knees earlier being mobbed by his teammates and nestled astatine nan bottommost of a pile-on. One personnel of Iran’s backroom squad collapsed onto his backmost connected nan turf amid nan delirium. Another planted a buss connected Khalilzadeh’s forehead earlier nan defender donned a brace of sunglasses fixed to him by 1 of nan galore substitutes who had swiftly emptied connected to nan pitch.

But nan joyousness was short-lived, Marciniak playing party-pooper aft a VAR reappraisal showed Khalilzadeh offside aft Mostafa Shobeir rushed from his extremity to punch clear nan free-kick from which Iran thought they had snatched victory. And nan precocious play did not extremity location either. Seventeen seconds aft nan minimum of six minutes of second-half stoppage time, Yasser Ibrahim made a monumental artifact to repel Ramin Rezaeian’s changeable aft nan shot squirted free and past six minutes and 53 seconds into added clip Iran’s Saeid Ezatolahi sent a header against nan crossbar. Shoubir, who was magnificent successful nan Egypt goal, moved his hands towards nan shot but was beaten.

Amid nan frenetic finish, it was easy to hide Mehdi Taremi’s 89th-minute header besides cannoned against nan woodwork. When Marciniak called clip connected a crippled that began brightly but appeared to beryllium fizzling retired until nan precocious drama, nan crippled was much than 100 minutes old. Belgium’s 5-1 trouncing of New Zealand mixed pinch this tie meant, arsenic runners-up successful Group G, Egypt will look Australia successful nan past 32, while 3 consecutive draws for Iran intends an agonising hold to find retired whether they will subordinate them successful nan knockout stage. Iran’s destiny hinges connected really Croatia, Algeria and Democratic Republic of nan Congo fare successful nan adjacent 24 hours but each would person been truthful different had 1 of those precocious moments gone successful their favour. No wonderment Amir Ghalenoei slumped successful his dugout astatine nan last whistle.

For truthful long, nan nutrient of this crippled was crammed into 9 of nan opening 14 minutes: Egypt taking nan lead, Iran thwarted from nan punishment spot and past equalising a fewer moments later. Mahmoud Saber struck earlier Shobeir kept retired Taremi’s mediocre punishment aft Mohamed Abdelmonem’s clumsy foul connected him amid seemingly small danger. Iran levelled erstwhile Rezaeian wellied nan rebound of Milad Mohammadi’s changeable into nan tile of nan nett aft Shobeir’s prevention sent nan shot skidding free. But anyone present successful a crestfallen stadium and those watching astatine location will retrieve this crippled for nan precocious chaos.