Afghan exile ends in 10-0 Iranian drubbing


Afghanistan were shown no mercy on their return to the international football fold here Saturday, suffering a crushing 10-0 defeat to reigning Asian Games champions Iran.

The Afghans, making their first appearance in a major football competition for 16 years, put up brave early resistance but in the end were no match for their vastly stronger opponents.
 

Five goals from Iranian striker Alireza Nikbaht, two each from veteran skipper Ali Daei and Javad Nekounam plus one from Yahya Golmohammadi hammered home the point that Afghanistan face a tough spell of sporting rehabilitation.

Sport was banned in Afghanistan under the deposed Taliban regime, and the war-torn country is emerging from years in the wilderness at the Asian Games.

The gulf in class between the Afghans and Iran - one of Asian football's strongest sides - was evident from the outset. For Iran, gold medal winners in 1998, the match was little more than a training exercise.
Nikbaht opened the scoring on 12 minutes, heading in from six yards with the Afghan defence nowhere to be seen. Moments later Abolfazi Hajizadeh should have made it 2-0 only to blaze his shot over from close range.

Iran increased their lead to 2-0 on 34 minutes with Nikbaht's second and the result was wrapped up with Nekounam's low shot three minutes later.
Afghanistan survived further damage in the remaining minutes of the first half, but were soon under siege in the second 45 minutes.

Nikbaht completed his hat-trick on 52 minutes and made it 5-0 with the simplest of goals, tapping in from close range after Moharram Navidikia's shot was half-saved, a minute later.
Golmohammadi put Iran 6-0 ahead on the hour mark, and Nekounam made seven soon afterwards with a lovely curled strike.
Nikbaht scored his fifth in the final five minutes, before two goals in two minutes from Daei completed Afghanistan's miserable night