Iran defeats China, takes a major step towards 2018 FIFA World Cup

The game was played at Tehran's Azadi Stadium in front of more than 90,000 spectators.

Although the hosts created many scoring chances, the two teams played out a goalless game in the first half.

But it was Iran’s Mehdi Taremi who scored the only goal of the game in the very beginning of the second half (minute 46) so that Carlos Queiroz’s men could emerge victorious and leave past their seventh game in the World Cup qualifications undefeated and without receiving a single goal.

With this win, Iran remained on top of Group A with 17 points and China, with only five points, lost all its hopes for advancing to 2018 Russia World Cup.

Iran will play its next game against Uzbekistan on June 13.

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