FIFA World Cup : Portugal enter pre-quarters despite being held by Iran
Saransk (Russia), June 26 : Iran held Portugal 1-1 in their final Group B match here on Monday but couldn't stop the reigning European champions from entering the FIFA World Cup pre-quarterfinals.
Ricardo Quaresma gave Portugal the lead in the 45th minute but Iran found the equaliser through a penalty conversion from Karim Ansarifard in the 90+3 minute.
Following the draw at the Mordovia Arena, Iran are third on the table with four points and will now exit alongside Morocco (one point) from Group B. Portugal are second with five points - same as Spain but the latter side is ahead on the basis of scoring more goals during the group stage matches.
With the day's other game of the group, between Spain and Morocco being played at the same time, the Portugal vs Iran match had a lot of significance in terms of qualifying for the second round and the top position cushion.
Portugal, who started the match with four points - one more than the Asian outfit - had the advantage in case of a draw. And having witnessed the pragmatic style of Fernando Santos' side, the Europeans, though were expected to dominate, gave a signal of first trying to secure the qualification and then going after the top position, if chances came.
As a result, the first half between Portugal and Iran saw a slow game, with not many chances created. However, Iran, bidding to reach the World Cup knockouts for the first time, had a weird start.
They could have conceded the lead in the 10th minute of the match as Joao Mario found himself in front of an open goal thanks to a lack of communication inside the box but he shot over the cross-bar.
Goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand called to clear a cross but defender Saeid Ezatolahi decided to cut it out.
He got no distance on the clearance and then the ball dropped near Mario on the edge of the box but the latter came out with a poor shot.
Beiranvand then went through a period of lapse of concentration as he couple of times fumbled the ball but his defenders were alert.
Also Portugal didn't press as much as they should have and didn't made the most of the faults Iran made.
Portugal tried to feed their target man Ronaldo but couple of his free-kicks and headers were not on target and Portugal's slow passing of the ball didn't help their cause.
It did clearly help Iran as they tried to do some clever moves through Sardar Azmoun and Alireza Jahanbakhsh.
A Jahanbakhsh free-kick was headed towards goal by Ezatolahi, but the effort was straight down the throat of Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio in the 34th minute.
Portugal, however, broke the deadlock in the 45th minute when Quaresma played a quick one-two with full-back Cedric Soares, sprinted to the edge of the box before curling a gorgeous outside-of-the-foot finish into the far top corner.
Six minutes into the second half, Portugal could have added a cushion goal after being awarded a penalty after Video Assistant Referee (VAR) found Ezatolahi to have fouled Ronaldo.
But Beiranvand came up with the heroics as he dived to the left to block Ronaldo's penalty to keep Iran alive in the contest and in the World Cup.
Later, Azmoun and Jahanbakhsh kept threatening Portugal goal. Azmound also had couple of penalty shouts rejected until he found one in the third minute of the injury time.
A header from him saw fell on the left hand of Cedric Soares, leading to a penalty from which Iran levelled 1-1. Ansarifard fired to the roof of the net on the right, giving no chance to Patricio.
In the dying moments, Iranian attacking midfielder Vahid Amiri missed a golden chance to score a stunning winner as a long overhead ball saw him through the Portuguese defence but his left-footed flick hit the side-netting, ending their chances in the match.
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Mangaluru man released early from Saudi jail under National Day Amnesty
Mangaluru: A 66-year-old man from Mangaluru, Karnataka, who was serving a three-year jail sentence in Saudi Arabia, has been granted early release under the Kingdom’s National Day amnesty program. The man, identified as Ahmed Imran (name changed), worked as a driver in Jeddah before his arrest in September 2023.
Ahmed’s troubles began during a routine day at work when a neighborhood boy repeatedly harassed him while he was washing his employer’s car. Despite having previously complained to the boy's father about his behavior, no action was taken. Frustrated by the continued disturbances, Ahmed pushed the boy away. However, the boy reported the incident to his father, allegedly exaggerating the events.
The boy’s father lodged a police complaint, which led to Ahmed’s arrest. Following court proceedings, Ahmed was sentenced to three years in jail. Lacking the financial means to hire a defense lawyer, Ahmed was unable to appeal the judgment.
After his sentencing, Ahmed’s family and local leaders from Karnataka reached out for assistance. Dr. & Adv. P.A. Hameed Padubidri, a Riyadh-based pro bono lawyer and social worker originally from Udupi, took up the case. Dr. Hameed and his Saudi legal team worked to resolve the matter, including attempts to negotiate with the complainant. However, these efforts were unsuccessful.
As a final step, Dr. Hameed advised Ahmed’s family to submit a mercy petition to the authorities. Following consistent follow-ups, Ahmed’s case was included in Saudi Arabia's National Day amnesty program, which facilitates the early release of eligible inmates.
Ahmed was released within a year of his sentence, bringing relief to his family in India. Upon his return, he expressed gratitude to his employer in Jeddah and the individuals who assisted him during his ordeal, including Dr. Hameed, K.S. Nasir Asaigoli, a social worker from Mangaluru, and Azhar from Jeddah.
The National Day amnesty program, a regular initiative by Saudi Arabia, offers relief to many individuals, reflecting the Kingdom’s efforts to uphold principles of justice and clemency. Ahmed’s release highlights the importance of community support and legal intervention for expatriates facing challenges abroad.
