© Reuters 2002

PUSAN, South Korea, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Veteran Ali Daei helped defending champions Iran move towards the quarter-finals at the Asian Games on Tuesday in a 2-0 win over Lebanon, but Afghanistan slumped to an 11-0 defeat against Qatar.

Iran had thrashed Afghanistan 10-0 in their opening group E match but had a much tougher task versus Lebanon who had drawn their first match 1-1 with Qatar.

However, 33-year-old striker Daei used all his experience as one of three over-age players allowed to play in the under-23 team and managed to break the deadlock.

After a goalless first half, striker Javad Kazemeyan was brought down inside the area nine minutes into the second period by defender Faissal Antar and Daei slotted the penalty home.

Faissal partly redeemed himself a few minutes later with a headed goal-line clearance but Iran continued to press and were rewarded just after the hour mark when Saeid Lotfi's corner on the left deceived goalkeeper Abdou Tafei and found the net.

Iran defender Jalal Kameli Mofrad hit the bar with a powerful header from 15 metres on 79 minutes and Daei repeated the feat with a curling free kick five minutes from time.

Iran need just one point from their final group match against Qatar to secure a quarter-final place, while Qatar must win to make sure of progressing.

MIXED BLESSING
Afghanistan's return to international football continued to be a mixed blessing as they crashed 11-0 to Qatar partly due to some awful goalkeeping by starter Jamshed and his replacement Mohammad Sadiq, who between them were at fault for at least three goals.

Qatar centre forward Sayd Ali Bechir struck a first-half hat-trick with goals in the 25th, 28th and 43rd minutes, while striker Mohamed G. Alblooshi and midfielder Abdulrahman Bilal Abuhamda also got on the scoresheet after 31 and 34 minutes.

Bechir added another on 66 minutes before Alshamman Saghayer Mufleh scored with a header from just outside the six-metre box that squeezed under Jamshed's despairing dive.

After defender Fawaz Daoud al Khater made it 8-0 on 69 minutes the Afgahn keeper was put out of his misery.

The luckless Jamshed's replacement Mohammad Sadiq fared little better, however, as forward Rasoul Waleed Hamaza put the ball past him from the penalty spot three minutes later.

Two minutes after that Abuhamda grabbed his second with a long-range shot Sadiq let slip under his body.

The substitute goalkeeper was then left rooted to the spot as midfielder Abdulmajid Wesam Rizik struck a shot from distance that flew into the net to make it 11-0.

Afghanistan's plight has not been helped by their failure to bring more experienced players since coach Mir Ali Asghar was unaware he could have included over-age players in his squad.

"We were told to bring all under-23s," Asghar admitted after the defeat to Iran. "Many of our good players are over 23. All we did was abide by the international rules that were told to us."

Uzbekistan bounced back from a 3-0 defeat to Brunei in their first group D match with a 2-0 win over Palestine, who had also previously lost 2-0 to Japan, in torrential rain in Changwon.

Midfielder Renat Bayramov put Uzbekistan ahead on the half-hour mark with a right-foot shot and Bahromjon Haydarov scored with a diving header on the stroke of halftime.

Later on Tuesday Japan were playing Brunei in group D, while Kuwait were meeting Hong Kong and Pakistan were taking on North Korea in group F.

Japan beat Palestine 2-0 in their first game with Kuwait thrashing Pakistan 6-0 and North Korea beating Hong Kong 2-1 in their opening matches.

The six group winners plus the best two runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals. (via Seoul newsroom, +82 2 3704 56; seoul.newsroom@reuters.com).