Football World Cup 1978 / Iran

This article covers the Iranian national soccer team at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina .

qualification

First round

country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Pt.
Iran	4th	4th	0	0	8-0	8th
Saudi Arabia	4th	1	0	3	3: 7	2
Syria	4th	1	0	3	2: 6	2

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07th January 1977	Saudi Arabia	0: 3	Iran	Al Mallaz Stadium, Riyadh , Saudi Arabia
			Mazloomi 16. 78. Rowshan 62nd

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January 28, 1977	Syria	0: 1	Iran	Abbasid Stadium , Damascus , Syria
			Parvin 56.

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0April 6, 1977	Iran	2-0	Syria	Tajgozari Stadium, Shiraz , Iran

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April 22, 1977	Iran	2-0	Saudi Arabia	Tajgozari Stadium, Shiraz , Iran
	Yousefi 10. Sharifi 84.

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Particularities:

• The second leg between the selection of Iran and the Syrian national team does not take place as Syria withdraws at short notice; FIFA rated it 2-0 for Iran
• Iran wins all games to zero

Second round

country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Pt.
Iran	8th	6th	2	0	12: 30	14th
South Korea	8th	3	4th	1	12: 80	10
Kuwait	8th	4th	1	3	13: 80	09
Australia	8th	3	1	4th	11: 80	07th
Hong Kong	8th	0	0	8th	05:26	0

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June 19, 1977	Hong Kong	0: 2	Iran	National Stadium, Hong Kong , Hong Kong
			Kazerani 22. Jahani 77.

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03rd July 1977	South Korea	0-0	Iran	Busan Stadium, Busan , South Korea

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August 14, 1977	Australia	0: 1	Iran	Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne , Australia
			Rowshan 22.

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October 28, 1977	Iran	1-0	Kuwait	Aryamehr Stadium , Tehran , Iran
	Jahani 48.

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November 11, 1977	Iran	2: 2	South Korea	Aryamehr Stadium , Tehran , Iran
	Rowshan (2 ×)		Young Moo 28.88.

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November 18, 1977	Iran	3-0	Hong Kong	Aryamehr Stadium , Tehran , Iran
	Jahani 3. 35. Kazerani 19.

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November 25, 1977	Iran	1-0	Australia	Aryamehr Stadium , Tehran , Iran
	Jahani 44.

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02nd December 1977	Kuwait	1: 2	Iran	Al Kuwait Club Stadium, Kuwait City , Kuwait
	Al Dukhail 14.		Fariba 48. Khabiri 59.

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Iran qualifies for a soccer world championship for the first time .

Particularities:

• Iran lives up to its role as favorites: only one year after winning the third Asian football championship ( 1968 , 1972 , 1976 ) in a row, the team qualified for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
• Strong defense: Iran conceded only three goals in 12 games.
• Strong strikers: Hassan Rowshan (4), Ghafour Jahani (4), Gholam Hossein Mazloomi (1) and Behtash Fariba (1) scored 10 of a total of 18 goals.
• Iran is nine times to zero.
• After Iran failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup in Germany to Australia , Team Melli won both games against the representative of Oceania.
• Heshmat Mohajerani against former world champion coach Mário Zagallo : 2-0 for Mohajerani, who beat Kuwait twice with Iran.
• Iran against Kuwait (II.): In the last game of the Iranians against Kuwait in Kuwait City, Mohajerani made the complete U19 selection of Iran and still won it 2-1, with Khabiri a remarkable goal, a distance shot from approx. 18 meters , succeed.
• The success of Team Melli is celebrated nationwide , with the capital Tehran being like a madhouse.

World Cup 1978

Squad

Number / name		Association at the time	birthday	Sp.	goal	red	yellow
goalkeeper
1	Wet Hejazi	Shahbaz FC	December 14, 1949	3	0	0	0
22nd	Mohammad Reza Rasoul Korbekandi	Zob Ahan Isfahan	01/27/1953	0	0	0	0
12	Bahram Mavaddat	Sepahan Isfahan	01/30/1950	0	0	0	0
Defense
5	Javad Allahvardi	Persepolis Tehran	07/16/1954	1	0	0	0
15th	Andranik Eskandarian	Taj Tehran	December 31, 1951	2	0	0	2
11	Ali Reza Gheshghayan	Bargh Shiraz	02/27/1954	0	0	0	0
21st	Hossein Kazerani	Pas Tehran	04/13/1947	3	0	0	0
14th	Hassan Nazari	Taj Tehran	August 19, 1955	3	0	0	1
19th	Ali Shojaei	Sepahan Isfahan	03/23/1953	0	0	0	0
20th	Nasrollah Abdollahi	Shahbaz FC	09/02/1951	3	0	0	0
midfield
4th	Majid Bishkar	Rastakhiz FC	08/06/1956	0	0	0	0
2	Iraj Danaeifard	Taj Tehran	03/19/1951	2	1	0	0
8th	Ebrahim Ghasempour	Shahbaz FC	08/24/1956	3	0	0	0
6th	Hassan Nayebagha	Homa FC	09/17/1950	2	0	0	0
7th	Ali Parvin	Persepolis Tehran	October 12, 1946	3	0	0	0
9	Mohammad Sadeghi	Pas Tehran	03/17/1951	3	0	0	0
attack
18th	Hossein Faraki	Pas Tehran	04/19/1956	3	0	0	0
3	Behtash Fariba	Pas Tehran	02/11/1955	1	0	0	0
17th	Ghafour Jahani	Malavan Anzali	06/18/1950	3	0	0	0
16	Wet nouraei	Homa FC	07/09/1956	0	0	0	0
10	Hassan Rowshan	Taj Tehran	06/02/1955	3	1	0	0
13	Hamid-Majd Tajmouri	Shahbaz FC	06/03/1953	0	0	0	0
Trainer
	Heshmat Mohajerani		January 1936

Games

For details, see Football World Cup 1978 / Group 4

country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Pt.
Peru	3	2	1	0	7: 2	5
Netherlands	3	1	1	1	5: 3	3
Scotland	3	1	1	1	5: 6	3
Iran	3	0	1	2	2: 8	1

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 Netherlands - Iran 3: 0 (1: 0) 

Date: Saturday, June 3, 1978, 4:45 p.m. (CEST)
Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza ( Mendoza )
Spectators: 43,080
Referee: Alfonso González Archundía

 Netherlands :
Jongbloed - Krol , Rijsbergen , Suurbier - Jansen , Haan , R. van de Kerkhof (70th Nanninga ), W. van de Kerkhof , Neeskens - Rensenbrink , Rep

 Iran :
Hejazi - Nazari , Kazerani , Abdollahi , Eskandarian - Parvin , Ghasempour , Sadeghi , Nayebagha - Jahani , Faraki (51st Rowshan )

Gates:

• 1-0 Rensenbrink (40th, penalty )
• 2-0 Rensenbrink (62nd, R. van de Kerkhof )
• 3-0 Rensenbrink (79th, penalty )

Match report

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 Iran - Scotland 1: 1 (0: 1) 

Date: Wednesday, June 7, 1978, 4:45 p.m. (CEST)
Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras ( Córdoba )
Spectators: 8,000
Referee: Youssou N'Diaye

 Iran :
Hejazi - Nazari , Kazerani , Abdollahi , Eskandarian - Parvin , Ghasempour , Sadeghi , Danaeifard (89th Nayebagha ) - Jahani , Faraki (83rd Rowshan )

 Scotland :
Rough - Jardine , Donachie , Buchan (56th Forsyth ), Burns - Hartford , Gemmill - Dalglish (74th Harper ), Jordan , Macari , Robertson

Gates:

• 0: 1 Eskandarian (43rd, own goal )
• 1: 1 Danaeifard (60th, left-footed shot)

Match report

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 Peru - Iran 4: 1 (3: 1) 

Date: Sunday, June 11, 1978, 4:45 p.m. (CEST)
Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras ( Córdoba )
Spectators: 21,000
Referee: Alojzy Jarguz

 Peru :
Quiroga - Duarte , Manzo (68th Leguia ), Cumpitaz , Diaz - Velásquez , Muñante , Cueto , Cubillas - Oblitas , La Rosa (60th Sotil )

 Iran :
Hejazi - Nazari , Kazerani , Abdollahi , Allahvardi - Parvin , Ghasempour , Sadeghi , Danaeifard - Faraki (52nd Jahani ), Rowshan (66th Fariba )

Gates:

• 1: 0 Velásquez (2nd, Muñante )
• 2-0 Cubillas (36th, penalty )
• 3-0 Cubillas (39th, penalty )
• 3-1 Rowshan (41st)
• 4: 1 Cubillas (79.)

Match report

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For Iran, the tournament is over after the preliminary round.

Particularities:

• Iraj Danaeifar scores the very first goal for Iran in a final tournament
• Iran caused a surprise with a 1-1 draw against Scotland
• Andranik Eskandarian is playing a poor World Cup: two yellow cards, an own goal and a penalty owed

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Netherlands - Iran ( English ) FIFA. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
2. ↑ Scotland - Iran ( English ) FIFA. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
3. ↑ Peru - Iran ( English ) FIFA. Retrieved April 14, 2019.