Belgium drew again: 0-0 against Iran with ten men for half an hour

Belgium also failed to win its second match in a row. After the 1-1 draw against Egypt, the match against Iran remained without goals: 0-0. The Red Devils had to continue with ten men for the last half hour after a red card for Ngoy.


The first half was difficult for Belgium. There was a lot of ball possession, but hardly any threat. The best opportunities were for Iran: after 14 minutes, Kanani suddenly got the ball in the box, but his effort was cleverly parried by Courtois, who prevented a deficit with a reflex. Ten minutes later, Iran appeared to strike after all. Taremi was released from a rehearsed set piece and he hit with his left. The joy was short-lived: after VAR intervention, the goal was disallowed for millimeters of offside.

After the break, Belgium showed more initiative, especially on the left where De Cuyper regularly created danger. When the team started to get better into the match, the game turned: in the 67th minute, a back pass from Ngoy to Courtois failed completely, allowing Taremi to advance. Ngoy knocked down the attacker and was immediately shown a red card. Despite its numerical superiority, Iran failed to make a difference. Courtois remained attentive and the Belgians held on: 0-0.