Iran beat Iraq in Olympic qualifier
Reuters - Sunday 19 June 2011, 19:40
ARBIL - Iran beat
Iraq 1-0 in a second-round 2012 Olympic qualifier
played in northern Iraq on Sunday with a first-half goal by
Muhsin Musliman.
The two teams will meet again on June 23 in Tehran.
Musliman's goal came on a counter attack in the 30th minute
before a crowd estimated at 18,000 at the half-empty Franso
Hariri Stadium in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous
northern Kurdish region.
"To lose is not the end of the universe. This is football.
Our team played well but the preparation of the Iranian team was
better than ours," Iraqi coach Nadhim Shakir told a news
conference after the match.
"We gained a good result from the Iraqi team - its play was
good but cooperation between the players was weak," Iranian
captain Sayed Ridha said.
The neighbouring countries have both qualified for the
Olympics four times.
Iraq played in 1980, 1984, 1988 and 2004, when it reached
the semi-finals. Iran qualified in 1964, 1972, 1976 and 1980.