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AFC - IRAN maintained Asia'a grip on the AFC/OFC Challenge Cup with a 3-0 win over New Zealand in Tehran yestyerday (Sunday).

The victory ensured a winning return for Iran coah Branco Ivancovic, who returned to his old job just 10 days ago.

A transformed Iranian side, with Mehdi Mahdavikia back in the side for the first time since Iran played Ireland in a World Cup play-off in November 2001, gave the home fans in Tehran's Azadi Stadium something to cheer about as early as the eighth minute, when New Zeland keeper Mark Paston could only parry Mahdavikia’s shot into the path of man-of-the-match Ali Karimi, and he duly scored.

Twelve minutes later, Mahdavikia once again set Karimi free, and the striker rounded the goalkeeper to score his second goal of the game.

The game was over as a contest after 65 minutes when 17-year-old Hossein Kaabi converted a one-one chance to put Iran 3-0 up.

"I’m satisfied with the result, though we had a very short time to get ready for the game," said Ivankovic after the game.

"The structure of the team was that of Busan [when Iran won the Asian Games in 2000] but this wasn’t a single person’s victory; it was as if we even breathed together. I hope that we will be even better against Lebanon and North Korea."

Mick Waitt, the New Zealand coach, admitted that his young has been out-played. "I’ve got to congratulate the Iranians," he said. "They have a good team and they deserved the cup."

Iran: Mirzapour, Kaabi, Golmohammadi, Rezaee, Nosrati, Mahdavikia (Bezik 88), Nekonam, Nikbakht (Navidkia 65), Kavianpour, Daei (capt), Karimi (Madanchi 83)

New Zealand: Paston, Oughton (Wilson 46), Davis, Bunce, Lochhead, Vicelich (Puna 60), Lines, Hickey (Bouckenooghe 46), Betos, Elliot, Nelson (capt)

Attn: 50,000

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