Isfahan – The Foolad Shahr Stadium played host to the Iranian Super Cup between Iranian Pro League Champions Esteghlal Khuzestan and Hazfi Cup Winners Zob Ahan of Isfahan.
An entertaining first half produced one goal when defensive midfielder Meysam Doraghi put the IPL champions ahead by converting a penalty kick in the 42nd minute.
Zob Ahan keeper Mohammad Rashid Mazaheri saved the penalty initially but the kick was ordered to be retaken due to Mazaheri moving early. The Zob Ahan players protested in vain but the referee would not be swayed. Esteghlal were awarded a penalty after an apparent handball from Zob Ahan defender Mohammad Nejad Mehdi.
Esteghlal extended the lead to 2-0 seven minutes into the second half when a cross from midfielder Hadi Khanifar was headed home nicely by striker Rahim Mehdi Zohaivi.
The goal for Zohaivi brought back memories of the two goals he scored in Esteghlal Khuzestan’s famous 2-0 victory against Zob Ahan on the final match day of the 2015-16 season when Esteghlal clinched the IPL Title.
But this day would not be a carbon copy of the last meeting between these two teams.
Zob Ahan failed to capitalize on their opportunities but were finally rewarded when Mohammadreza Abbasi took advantage of a giveaway near the Esteghlal penalty area and sent in a cross that was headed in by Morteza Tabrizi to the cut the lead in half in the 68th minute.
Six minutes later the match was tied when forward Yaser Feyzi scored a header off a corner kick that made its way past Esteghlal keeper Goudarz Davoudi.
Last season Feyzi plied his trade in the third level of Iranian football and helped Oxin Alborz gain promotion to the Azadegan League. It is safe to say that Feyzi is definitely off to a perfect start for Zob Ahan.
The match went into extra time and clearly Zob Ahan carried the momentum with them after coming back from a two goal deficit.
Two minutes into extra time, a handball led to a penalty kick for Zob Ahan. Mehdi Mehdipour converted the spot kick to give Zob Ahan a 3-2 lead. Davoudi guessed right and nearly got a hand on the ball but Mehdipour’s shot was too powerful.
In the 113th minute, Esteghlal keeper Davoudi fouled Zob Ahan striker Mohammad Reza Hosseini in the penalty area and earned himself a red card.
Mehdipour easily converted his second penalty as Zob Ahan completed the comeback to win the Iranian Super Cup 4-2.
This was the first Super Cup to take place in Iran since 2005 when Saba Battery defeated Foolad Khuzestan 4-0 in Tehran.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mloi9kAzNMI