Renowned SA coach Pitso Mosimane has successfully guided his Esteghlal FC side to victory in the Hazfi Cup, securing their progression to the quarter-finals of the competition.
Esteghlal defeated Mes Kerman in the Last 16 with a narrow 1-0 victory on Wednesday afternoon at the Shahre Qods Stadium.
Argentine forward Gustavo Blanco broke the deadlock just after the break in the 49th minute from a close-range effort. The scoreline remained unchanged for the remainder of the encounter as Esteghlal emerged victorious.
For a larger part of the second half, the former Bafana Bafana coach’s side was forced to play with 10-man as attacker Arash Rezavand was shown a red card.
PITSO MOSIMANE’S ESTEGHLAL FC REGISTERS BACK-TO-BACK VICTORIES IN IRAN
The cup victory against Kerman saw the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach register two victories in a row for the first time since taking over at Esteghlal FC at the end of October.
Already, the 60-year-old has helped the club perform better in the cup competition than last season. Last season, ‘The Famous Royal Blues’ campaign ended in the Last 32 of the competition.
Then, last time out in the Iran Pro League, Esteghlal defeated 10-man Foolad Khuzestan FC 2-0 away from home. The win on the road saw Mosimane’s side end a two-match winless streak following draws.
Esteghlal will now shift their focus to the league encounter this weekend. On Sunday, 15 December, they will be home again as they welcome Gol Gohar. Kickoff at Shahre Qods Stadium is set for 3 PM.
Mosimane’s side is currently enjoying a good run, in front of goal they are scoring and at the back they are solid. In their last five matches in all competitions, they have found the back of the net six times, let in two goals and kept four clean sheets.
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