-
ALSO READ
Saudi football teams denied neutral venues for Qatar clashes Dutch star Sneijder close to joining Qatar club Al Gharafa FIFA ban on competitive games in Iraq affects AFC Cup clubs Constantine offered contract extension till 2019 Asian Cup England FA signs MoU with Qatar Football Association -
Esteghlal defeated Qatar's Al Rayyan 2-0 to punch their ticket for the knockout stage of the 2018 Asian Champions League, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on its website.
The Match Day 5 contest at Tehran's Azadi Stadium here on Monday was for the top spot in Group D, reports Efe.
The hosts set the tone for the night when Server Djeparov took a cross from Farshid Esmaeili to beat Al Rayyan goalkeeper Oumar Barry in the 4th minute, making it 1-0 for Esteghlal.
Al Rayyan's best chance came in the 20th minute as the visitors moved forward in pursuit of an equaliser, but captain Rodrigo Tabata's effort from a distance missed the mark.
The Iranian side got their insurance goal in the 58th minute, when Vouria Ghafouri converted from the spot after the referee awarded a penalty for a foul in the box against Dariush Shojaein.
Despite the loss, Al Rayyan can still secure the second Group D berth in the AFC Champions League round of 16 with a good result two weeks from now against Al Ain.
--IANS
gau/bg
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU