Uzbekistan warded off a late fightback by Iran to register a 1-0 victory while Zimbabwe routed Burkina Faso 4-1 in Group B football league matches at the inaugural Afro-Asian Games at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.
After a barren first-half, Uzbekistan's Marat Bikmoev came up with a stunning left-footer to put his side in the lead in the 48th minute. They held on to that goal and picked three points in the four-team group.
Playing under floodlights and on a slippery field, both teams had an even share of the exchanges but could not score. Uzbekkistan forward Alexander Geynrikh was impressive with his raids down the right flank.
However, Iran, who were very accommodating in playing their match despite arriving only in the morning, turned tables soon after Uzbekistan shot into the lead and kept the rival defence on tenterhooks, resulting in several rough tackles.
Uzbekistan's Shavkat Raimkulob was sent off in the 70th minute, having received his second yellow for rough tackling.
With the small gathering of spectators backing them, Iran kept raiding the rival goal and came close to finding the equalizer just 15 minutes before the end, but Hassan Ashjari's shot was saved with a sliding effort by defnder Roostam Kadirov.
Earlier, Zimbabwean striker Vusumuzi Nyoni and Albert Mbano scored a brace each to put the issue beyond Burkina Faso, who were reduced to 10 players for almost the entire second half after Maiga Buareima was sent out for delaying the proceedings.
Zimbabwe went into the attack straightaway and Nyoni, after combining with Ronald Badza and Albert Mbano, found the mark in the third minute.
Burkina Faso found the equalizer 12 minutes later when Barros Seydou beat goalkeeper Chenjerai Dube after collecting a long pass. But, from then on the Zimbabweans took full control and held possession for almost the rest of the first half as Mbano scored to give his team a 2-1 lead in the 25th minute.
After the break, Burkina Faso, comprising junior players, went all out in a bid to find the equalizer and the proceedings saw a spate of rough tackles and players had to be carried out of the field on more than a couple of occasions.
Five minutes in the half, Burkina Faso was penalized when Maiga, who was hurt trying to take possession of the ball in the box, did not get up even after a yellow card was shown and the referee pulled out the red. Maiga was seen unhappy over the decision as he walked out accompanied by a team official.
In a 74th minute counter-attack, Nyoni's low left-footer sailed into the far corner of the net even as the keeper was rooted to the other end.
Mbano increased the margin in the dying minutes.
Tomorrow's match:
3 pm: India vs Malaysia (Group A).
