A meeting between Egypt and Iran produced a penalty dispute that was not clearly defined
JCH 2026's next matchday turned into a real drama for football fans, as reported by Zamin.uz.
The match between Egypt and Iran in Group G was so intense that hearts stopped on the field and in the stands. JCH 2026.
Group G. Matchday 3 Egypt — Iran 1:1 Goals: Saber 5', Rizoyan 14'.
Missed penalty: Mehdi Torimiy 11'. Yellow cards: Saber, Yosir Ibrahim, Lashin — Kanaanizodagon, Nematov, Izzatullayev, Khalilzoda.
The game started at lightning speed from the first whistle. Just minutes in, Egypt launched an attack, and Saber scored in the 5th minute to open the scoring.
Not long after, Iran's captain Mehdi Torimiy earned a penalty to level the score. However, in the 11th minute, he failed to convert the spot-kick.
Despite the miss, the tension didn't drop — both sides pushed for their goals. In the 14th minute, Rizoyan equalized for Iran.
This result satisfied Mohamed Salah and his teammates, so in the second half, the Africans focused on preserving their lead.
During the second half, it was clear the Iranians were tiring from their relentless running.
Yet, in the final moments, they found strength for a real assault. And finally, in the 96th minute added by the referee, Shoja Khalilzoda broke into Egypt's net.
The Asian players' joy and excitement were impossible to put into words. Even the goal scorer, Khalilzoda, followed up by celebrating in his own unique style, despite having prepared a black eye patch beforehand.
But this joy was short-lived. VAR intervened, and after reviewing the replays, a microscopic offside was detected — the goal was disallowed.
The drama wasn't over yet. In the remaining seconds, Iran came close to scoring again, but Egypt's goalkeeper miraculously saved a close-range shot.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Iran have now drawn all three of their group stage matches.
But their tournament isn't over yet. Thanks to a decent goal difference, they still have a chance to advance to the knockout stage and are continuing the fight.
Egypt, meanwhile, are pleased with the result and have strengthened their position in the group.
