Iran win marred by trouble

2005-03-30 17:41

Hong Kong - Iran overpowered North Korea 2-0 in Pyongyang on Wednesday triggering an angry reaction from home fans while Japan were gifted a 1-0 win over Bahrain thanks to an own goal in their Asian World Cup qualifier.

Japan's victory got their bid to qualify for next year's World Cup finals in Germany back on track after their away loss in Tehran last week, moving two points ahead of Bahrain and one point behind Group B leaders Iran.

In Group A, South Korea shrugged off their disappointing 2-0 defeat in Saudi Arabia last week, beating Uzbekistan 2-1 at home.

Football's governing body Fifa will not have been pleased by events off the pitch in Pyongyang.

A mob of thousands gathered outside the Kim Il-Sung stadium after the match and stopped the Iranian players from leaving as hundreds of policemen were deployed inside and outside the ground in an effort to restore order.

The trouble began after the North Korean players inflamed the crowd in the dying minutes when they converged on Syrian referee Mohammed Kousa, shoving him and screaming, after he rejected a penalty appeal for hand-ball.

The match was held up for more than five minutes as Kousa retreated from the pack and bottles from the crowd were thrown onto the athletics track surrounding the pitch.

Match officials went onto the pitch to help Kousa, who finally restored order and sent off North Korean defender Nam Song-Chol.

At the end of the match the Iranians remained on the field for about 10 minutes before sprinting off the pitch under a barrage of objects. Kousa and his two assistants were also targeted.

- AFP