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On Wednesday, the competition in Group D will come to an end. At 17:00 Lithuanian time, the national teams of Iran and Angola will clash in one of the matches starting. For Iran, these matches are just a matter of prestige, whereas Angola has not lost hope of advancing to the next stage, so they will play with even greater motivation.
Group D, Iran - Angola Location: Zentralstadion, Leipzig. Referee: Mark Shield (Australia) (Live broadcast on LTV)
In order to advance to the next stage, Angolan footballers need to hope for favorable results in the matches between Portugal and Mexico. Of course, first and foremost, Angola must defeat Iran, and only then consider the outcome of the other group match. If Angola were to defeat Iran and Portugal were to win against Mexico, the fate of the second place would be determined by the goal difference. Currently, Angola is in a worse position than Mexico, as the African representatives have a negative goal difference (-1), while Mexico has a positive difference (+2) before the third round.
Iran's situation is much simpler – the team lost both of the first two matches and at best can finish third in the group. For this to happen, Iran will have to defeat Angola, who demonstrate a solid defense. The intrigue of the match is also heightened by the fact that this will be the first encounter between these national teams.
First two rounds Iran started the championship with a 3-1 loss against the Mexican national team. The Asian representatives held on for most of the match but faltered at the end, started making mistakes in defense, and suffered a defeat. The team's only goal in that match, after a mix-up in the penalty area, was scored by Yahya Golmohammadi.
"Our team still lacks international competition experience, and it was clear in this match." – Iran's coach Branko Ivankovic pointed out the reason for the loss.
In the second round, Iran again had to face defeat – this time against Portugal. Iran maintained a draw for about an hour, but Portugal managed to break through the opponent's defense and secured a 2-0 victory.
"We played very well in the first ten minutes, but that is not enough to win. Portugal, of course, was the stronger team, and we have to accept the defeat. Our key players competed with injuries not fully healed, so they played worse than they could have." – after the match, Iran's striker Vahid Hashemian lamented.
Angola's tournament also started with a defeat. After a defensive mistake, the Portuguese broke through in the fourth minute, and as it turned out later, that was the only goal of the match.
"We played well. Portugal pressed us from the start of the match and forced us to make mistakes. In the second half, we tried to attack more and score a goal. I don't think Portugal played poorly; Angola just played well." – the coach praised the team.
Angola's second match went better – making their debut in the championship, the team held against Mexico and secured their first point in the competition. It is worth noting that the team was saved multiple times by the goalpost.
After these draws, coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves was very happy: “It was a good match. Mexico is a strong team, and it is really hard to play against them. I think I won't be mistaken in saying that this is Angola's best achievement in the country's football history."
Teams' news. Comments In this match, Iran's team will have to play without the disqualified Javad Nekounam and the injured Ali Daei. Most likely, the team's attacking organizer Ali Karimi, who suffered an ankle injury, will also not be able to appear on the field. The team's only goal scorer Yahya Golmohammadi, who injured his shoulder in the match against Portugal after a collision with C. Ronaldo, will also be unavailable for about a month.
Meanwhile, this championship has already brought benefits to Iran's goalkeeper – it is reported that Portugal's "National" team has expressed interest in Ebrahim Mirzapour.
Although the matches mean almost nothing to Iran, coach B. Ivankovic is determined to achieve victory: “Winning the match against Angola would mean that the championship was successful for us. This is the biggest and most beautiful sports event, and we are proud to participate in it."
Due to two yellow cards, Andre Macanga will not be able to play for Angola in this match. Meanwhile, the goalkeeper Joao Ricardo, Loco, Jamba, Ze Kalanga, and Delgado will have to be cautious in this match, as receiving another yellow card would mean they have to miss the next game if they manage to advance to the quarterfinals.
In this match, Angola needs a victory, so it is likely that the coach will change the defensive tactics used so far and send out a second striker onto the field. It is speculated that Mantorras could play alongside Akwa in the attack.
“We have to score goals, so it is natural that we will play with a more attacking strategy. The team is very determined after the draws against Mexico. We would like to stay in Germany a little longer." – said the assistant coach Alvardo de Almedia Mabi.
“We will aim for a victory and make some changes. Angola is expecting a goal, and we don't want to go home without scoring." – said the African coach L. Goncalves.
“It will be very difficult because even if Mexico loses, we will have to win by a greater margin than one goal. We have to be prepared to believe that we can do it because our fans believe in us. This will be the toughest match, but we will give it our all to win." – said the team's goalkeeper J. Ricardo.
If Angola manages to advance to the next stage, it would mean that in the quarterfinals, all three countries where the official language is Portuguese will play: “It would be fantastic if all three countries played in the next stage. It would be especially important for us because we would prove what we are worth to those who said we would achieve nothing." – veteran J. Ricardo continued.
Both the team's top scorer Akwa and the most successful player in the country believe in the team's success: “I believe we can defeat Iran. Portugal can also defeat Mexico. In the past, African countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, or Senegal have caused surprises, and I think we can do the same." – they stated.
Predicted lineups Iran: Mirzapour, Kaebi, Rezaei, Bakhtiarizadeh, Nosrati, Mahdavikia, Karimi, Zandi, Madanchi, Taymoorian, Hashemian. Angola: Ricardo, Loco, Jamba, Kali, Delgado, Ze Kalanga, Rui Marques, Figueiredo, Mateus, Mendonca, Akwa.
