The Iran national team secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup after winning a penalty shootout against Syria with a score of (5-3) on Wednesday at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, in the round of 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup held in Qatar. The match extended into extra time after a tie of (1-1) in both regular and extra time, leading to the penalty shootout, where Mahmoud Al-Youssef missed a penalty, allowing the Iranian team to achieve a hard-fought victory.
Mehdi Taremi opened the scoring for Iran in the 34th minute with a penalty, before Omar Khribin equalized for Syria in the 64th minute with another penalty. With this result, Iran will face Japan in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup next Saturday.
The match started with Iran controlling possession, searching for an early lead, but the vigilance of the Syrian players in defense kept their goal threatened. In the 25th minute, Mehdi Ghandi surprised everyone with a strong shot from outside the box, which was excellently saved by Syria's goalkeeper, Ahmad Madani, who turned it into a corner. Madani showcased his skills again in the 27th minute with a double save against an Iranian midfielder's shot.
In the 30th minute, Mehdi Taremi squandered a promising goal-scoring opportunity after a standout pass through the defense. In the 33rd minute, the referee awarded Iran a penalty after a strong intervention by Ayham Oso against Taremi. Taremi executed the penalty in the 34th minute, converting it into a lead.
Moayad Al-Ajan of Syria shocked Iran's goalkeeper with a powerful shot from outside the area, but it was easily saved by Ali Beiranvand. The last minutes of the first half saw Syrian offensive activity, but without any real danger to Iran's goal, ending the half with the Eagles of Qasioun trailing by a goal.
Iran nearly added a second in the 51st minute but for the brilliance of Ahmad Madani in goal for Syria. Madani once again showcased extraordinary skill, rushing out to challenge an Iranian striker, denying the Iranian team a decisive goal.
Hector Cuper made his first substitution for Syria in the 58th minute, bringing in striker Pablo Sabbagh for midfielder Mahmoud Al-Aswad. In the 61st minute, Sabbagh earned a penalty in his first play, awarded by the referee after reviewing VAR, following an intervention by Iran's goalkeeper on the Syrian striker's foot. Omar Khribin took the penalty and scored the equalizer in the 64th minute.
In the 87th minute, Cuper made two substitutions for Syria, replacing Ammar Ramadan and Omar Khribin with Fahd Al-Yousef and Alaa Al-Din Dali. Mehdi Taremi of Iran was sent off in the 90th minute for intentionally obstructing Pablo Sabbagh, who was driving towards the goal.
In stoppage time, the Eagles of Qasioun came close to their second goal following an attack from the left side, only for the Iranian defense to intervene. The extra periods did not yield a definitive result, maintaining the 1-1 tie, leading to a penalty shootout that favored Iran with a score of (5-3).
