Iran is the fourteenth country to validate its ticket for the World Cup-2022 (November 21 to December 18) and the second in the Asia zone after Qatar, qualified as the organizing country.
The "Team Melli" flew over group A with six wins in seven matches (19 points) and is sure to finish in one of the first two qualifying places with three days remaining.
South Korea, second in the group with eight points ahead of the United Arab Emirates, is very close to obtaining its ticket for the World Cup.
She will travel to Syria, last in the group (two points), on February 1.
In Qatar at the end of the year, Iran will try to cross the first round of a World Cup for the first time after five unsuccessful attempts during its previous participations in 1978, 1998 (despite a prestigious victory over the United States 2 -1), 2006, 2014 and 2018.
Iran, undefeated since Croatian Dragan Skocic took over in February 2020 (eleven wins and a draw), won thanks to a goal from Porto striker Mehdi Taremi just after the break (48th) .
The joy of Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi (c), congratulated by his teammates, after opening the scoring against Iraq, during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, January 27, 2022 in Tehran Atta KENARE AFP
"We are happy, we are going to the World Cup," sang cheering fans as they left the stadium.
"It's our team, they're lions."
For the first time in more than two years, women were allowed to attend this match in the stadium.
For about 40 years, the Islamic Republic has generally prohibited female spectators from entering stadiums, particularly for football matches, because the clerics who play a major role in this Muslim country maintain that they must be protected from the masculine atmosphere and from the sight of partially undressed men.
Iranian supporters attend the match between Iran and Iraq on January 27, 2022 in Tehran Atta KENARE AFP
In September 2019, FIFA, world football's governing body, ordered Iran to allow women unrestricted access to stadiums.
A month later, they were able to attend, at the Azadi stadium in Tehran, the meeting between Iran and Cambodia, a qualifying match for the World Cup-2022.
© 2022 AFP