Monday’s win was Iran’s sixth from eight matches in Group A and took the table-toppers to 20 points, with South Korea in second on 13 ahead of its game against Qatar on Tuesday.

Iran is unbeaten in the group stage and remarkably has not conceded a single goal during the campaign, underlining its credentials as one of Asia’s football giants.

On Monday, it recorded its second win over Uzbekistan on the road to the 2018 tournament in Russia, with Rostov forward Sarder Azmoun first finding the net in the 23rd minute with a right-footed shot from the left of the box following a through ball from Alireza Jahanbaksh.

Iranian players celebrate after winning the 2018 World Cup qualifying football match between Iran and Uzbekistan at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on June 12, 2017. (AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE)

The Uzbeks struggled for momentum and failed to break down the famed Iranian defense, eventually conceding their second goal of the match in the 88th minute with Mehdi Taremi finishing from Azmoun’s pass.

Iran, which has seen its ranking rise from 108th in the world in 1995 to its current 30th, has played in the World Cup finals four times in the past – in 1978, 1998, 2006 and 2014.

Iranians celebrate on the streets of Tehran early on June 13, 2017, after their national football team won the 2018 World Cup qualifying football match between Iran and Uzbekistan. (AFP PHOTO)

So successful has Iran proved in the qualifying games that it has become only the second team to secure its place in the finals, after five-time World Cup champions Brazil. Russia, as host of the tournament from June 14 to July 15, 2018, is given an automatic spot.

Supporters of the Iranian national football team cheer during the 2018 World Cup qualifying football match between Iran and Uzbekistan at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on June 12, 2017. (AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE)

Iran’s remarkable progress to the 2018 finals contrasts sharply with Israel’s form.

Sunday’s defeat in Haifa by Albania leaves Israel in joint third place in Group G, with no prospect of making it to Russia, and a battle now merely to finish in third place and thus secure a more favorable qualifying path for the 2022 tournament.

Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz of the Iranian national football team celebrates with players after winning the 2018 World Cup qualifying football match between Iran and Uzbekistan at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on June 12, 2017. (AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE)

Ranked 55th in the world, Israel has qualified for the World Cup finals only once, in 1970.

The Israeli team came into Sunday’s game having beaten Albania 3-0 in their last encounter. It was the hot favorite to win the home game, but fell to a heavy defeat in its poorest performance of the qualifying campaign to date.

While Iran’s victory prompted celebrations in the streets of Tehran, the Israeli team was booed off the field by its own fans, and newspaper headlines on Monday morning called its performance a “Disgrace,” an “embarrassment,” and “one of the biggest humiliations” in national soccer history.

Albanian forward Armando Sadiku (C) celebrates after scoring during the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification football match between Israel and Albania in Haifa on June 11, 2017. (AFP PHOTO / THOMAS COEX)

Israel had the first shot on goal, with Bibras Nacho’s shot tipped over the bar by Albanian goalkeeper Thoma Strakosha. But Armando Sadiku managed to put the ball past Israeli goalie David Goresh in the 22nd minute. Sadiku scored again a minute from half time with a shot from 25 yards out.