AFC Asian Cup: Iraq Edges Jordan
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iraqi national football team defeated Jordan 1-0 in the Asian Cup on Monday.
Kasim, who plays for Swindon Town in the third tier of English football, scored the winner in the 77th minute.
Earlier on the day defending champion Japan having launched its Group D campaign with a 4-0 rout of Palestine.
Iraq is now in the box seat to reach the quarter-finals and perhaps start another fairytale run reminiscent of their 2007 Asian Cup triumph, which became a rare moment for celebration in the war-torn country.
Neither Iraq nor Jordan had won a match since March last year and Jordan's defeat was compounded by the sending off of Anas Bani-Yaseen, who picked up a second yellow card in a fiery match during which the referee made seven bookings.
Iraq will play Japan on Friday and Jordan is scheduled to face Palestine.
