TOKYO, June 3: Defender Rahman Rezaei headed a winner in first-half stoppage time as Iran beat North Korea 1-0 at home on Friday to close in on a place at the 2006 World Cup. Rezaei nodded in from point-blank range to give Iran a deserved win in Tehran and stretch the home side’s lead at the top of Group B.

North Korea’s hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1966 have now all but vanished following four straight defeats.

MATCH DRAWN

Teenage striker Park Chu-young snatched an injury-time equaliser to give South Korea a 1-1 draw in Uzbekistan on Friday, keeping the visitors top of their World Cup qualifying group.

South Korea have seven points from four matches in Group A of the final round of Asian 2006 qualifiers.

Dynamo Kiev forward Maxim Shatskikh fired Uzbekistan ahead against the run of play in Tashkent with a clinical finish after 62 minutes.

But Park pounced from close range in the last minute to spare South Korea’s blushes.—Reuters