In a gripping quarter-final clash at Education City Stadium on Saturday, Iran secured a 2-1 victory over four-time champions Japan, advancing to the semi-finals of the Asian Cup. The decisive moment came in stoppage time when skipper Alireza Jahanbakhsh confidently converted a penalty, unleashing celebrations from the Iranian fans.
Locked at 1-1, the tension escalated in the dying moments as Iran earned a penalty in the fourth minute of added time. Jahanbakhsh stepped up and delivered a powerful strike into the top corner, avenging Iran’s 2019 semi-final loss to Japan. The emotional scenes that followed included the Iranian bench rushing onto the pitch, and a visibly moved Jahanbakhsh dropping to the turf in relief, with many players expressing tears of joy.
Iran, eyeing a record-equalling fourth Asian Cup title, had not defeated Japan in 19 years. The victory also extended coach Amir Ghalenoei’s unbeaten streak to an impressive 16 matches since taking charge in March.
Ghalenoei expressed pride in his team, stating, “Iran should be proud of their sons; they gave everything they had for their people. I think the result can be a turning point for Iranian football.”
Iran awaits their semi-final opponents, which will be determined later on Saturday when defending champions Qatar face Uzbekistan, while Jordan takes on South Korea in the other semi-final.
The match itself unfolded with a cagey start, characterized by physicality. Japan took the lead in the first half through Hidemasa Morita, who made an impressive run past four defenders to beat Alireza Beiranvand in goal. However, Iran responded in the second half, equalizing 10 minutes in with a skillful play. Sardar Azmoun provided a sublime assist to Mohammad Mohebi, who skillfully evaded his marker and slotted the ball past Suzuki into the bottom corner.
As the game intensified, Iran seized control, pressing hard in defense and launching successive attacks. The pressure paid off in second-half added time when Japan’s Ko Itakura’s clearance attempt turned disastrous. He tripped Hossein Kanani in the box, leading to a penalty that Jahanbakhsh expertly converted, sparking jubilation among Iranian fans.
Expressing regret over the outcome, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, “We have to improve in many aspects. We conceded a goal in all five matches in this tournament. If you don’t keep a clean sheet, you can’t win. We couldn’t handle the pressure they put on our defense.”
