Iran books berth for Asian Cup 2011 amid protests in Singapore

Two fans were removed by security after a confrontation between supporters of the government and the opposition.

Elsewhere, China and Syria drew 0-0 to move further ahead of their Group D rivals, both having already secured places at the Asian Cup at Doha, Qatar next January.

Japan won 3-2 at Yemen, and Bahrain thrashed Hong Kong 4-0 to secure qualification from Group A, with both teams equal on 12 points—nine clear of third-place Yemen with only one match each remaining.

Australia missed a chance to ensure its spot at Doha 2011 when it squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Kuwait.

Hadi Aghily gave Iran the lead with a penalty in the 10th minute after a foul by Singapore’s Precious Emuejeraye. Mehrzad Madanchi made it 2-0 only a minute later.

Noh Alam Shah scored with a header in the 31st to pull a goal back for Singapore.

But Gholamreza Rezaei finished a counterattack to make it 3-1 in the 62nd, a morale boost for Iran after its failure to reach the World Cup in South Africa.

“We were able to score some wonderful goals,” Iran manager Afshin Ghotbi said. “We’ve set a target to win the Asian Cup.”

Iran has 10 points in Group E, four more than Singapore and Thailand and five more than Jordan. Thailand and Jordan drew 0-0 in Bangkok, leaving all three teams vying for one spot at the Asian Cup.

Iran’s opposition says more than 80 protesters have been killed in a crackdown after disputed June elections, but the government puts the number of confirmed dead at less than 40.

Australia led Kuwait 2-0 within five minutes via goals from Luke Wilkshire and Dean Heffernan, but Hamad Al Enezi pulled one back for Kuwait in the 39th and Youssef Nasser equalized five minutes later.

Kuwait and Australia still share top spot in Group B with eight points, and each need just a draw from their final match to secure qualification. Australia hosts winless Indonesia in March, and Kuwait faces third-place Oman in its last match.

At San’A, Sota Hirayama scored all three goals in Japan’s comeback win over Yemen. Bassem al-Akel gave the home team the lead in the 13th minute and Sami Karama added another in the 27th. But Hirayama scored his first in the 41st, put in a second in the 58th, and completed the hat trick in the 79th.

At Manama, Ismail Abdulatif fired a first-half hat trick inside nine minutes just before the break, while substitute Abdulla al-Dekheel added a fourth 15 minutes from time in Bahrain’s fourth straight win.

In Group C, United Arab Emirates beat Malaysia 1-0 to move within a win of leading Uzbekistan, and two wins clear of the Malaysians.