Ekugqibeleni, i-Iran izuze amanqaku amathathu emva kokubetha iWales ngamagowuli amabini (2-0) emdlalweni wetumente yehlabathi obubanjelwe eAhmad bin Ali Stadium emini namhlanje. Ukuphumelela kwe-Iran ngumvuzo wokusebenza kwayo ngokuzimisela emdlalweni wanamhlanje. Noxa ibinamaxesha athile iWales ebizama ukufaka amagowuli ngawo – kodwa wona umdlalo ubuphethwe ngamakhwenkwe kaCarlos Queiroz noRoger De Sar walapha eMzantsi Afrika. Kunokwenzeka imidlalo kaGroup B iye kweyokugqibela kungekacaci ncam amaqela aza kudlulela phambili – kodwa oko kwakuxhomekeka komnye umdlalo osebusuku namhlanje. Isigaba sokuqala kungekho gowuli emdlalweni. Umdlalo ubumhle futhi omabini amaqela ebezimisele. Emizuzwini yokuqala yomdlalo, iWales ibihleli emva izama ukuvala abadlali be-Iran abebefuna igowuli.
Unozinti weWales, uWayne Hennessey, ukhe wacholachola iibhola ezifike kuye zingenamandla. Akukho qela elikwazileyo ukudala amathuba kwishumi lemizuzu yokuqala emdlalweni. Emva kwethuba iWales iphantse yabhalisa ebhodini ngethuba uKiefer Moore efumana ibhola endaweni eyingozi. Ngelishwa lakhe, abadlali be-Iran bakhawuleza bamphazamisa. Iphendule ngoko nangoko i-Iran efumene igowuli – kodwa usompempe khange alivume ngenxa yomdlali olaleleyo. Unozinti we-Iran, uHossein Hosseini, ubambe ibhola eyingozi kuhlasela iWales. Akukho nto icace ncam eyenziwe nguGareth Bale, olithemba leWales, ebegadwe kakhulu.
Iziganeko emdlalweni zenzeke kwisigaba sesibini. Abadali be-Iran abafana noSardar Azmoun noGholizah baqhubele phambili nokuthi gqolo belixhokonxa iqela likaRob Page kwisigaba sesibini ngokufanayo nakwisigaba sokuqala. Uzamile uKieffer Moore ukukhabela ezipalini ngelizama ukunceda iqela lakhe lifumane igowuli emdlalweni ebelifuthanyiselwe kakubi kuwo. URob Page wenze iinguqu kwakucaca ukuba inzinyelwe iWales elinde iminyaka emininzi ukuze ibuyele kwitumente yehlabathi. Ufake uBrennan Johson endaweni kaConnor Roberts noDaniel James endaweni kaHarry Wilson.
Naye uQueiroz ufake abadlali abafana noJoe Allen noMahdi Torabi ngoba ibinye into edinga liqela lakhe: igowuli emnatheni. UNeco Williams noBen Davies bakhe bazama ukukhabela unozinti we-Iran kodwa iinzame zabo azaphumelela. Uchiteke umphothulo emva kokuba unozinti weWales, uWayne Hennessey, enikwe ikhadi elibomvu ngenxa yokudlalisa kakubi uTaremi engaphandle komhlaba wakhe. URouzbeh Cheshmi ufake igowuli lokuqala, walandela uRamin Rezaeian nelesibini wasongwa umdlalo. Omabini amagowuli avele kwixesha elongezwe ngusompempe. Limfiliba ikamba leWales ebibambene neMelika emdlalweni wokuqala. Nangona i-Iran ibibethwe yiNgilane – kodwa ukuba ingabetha iMelika, mhlawumbi ingadlulela phambili.
IPirates idibana neentanga zayo namhlanje kwiMTN8, utsho uSage Stephens!