Saman Ghoddos got another 54 minutes for Iran last night during their 1-0 win over United Arab Emirates in Tehran.

Team Melli secured qualification for this winter’s Qatar World Cup last week but still have an unbeaten campaign and top spot in Group A to fight for. As with the victory over Iraq last week, this game was settled by a single Mehdi Taremi strike just before the interval.

Iran were reduced to ten men five minutes after the break, Sadegh Moharrami picking up a second booking, with Saman withdrawn shortly after.

The appearance was Saman’s 31st for Iran, ten of which have come since signing for The Bees.

With seven wins and a draw from eight games so far, Iran sit two points clear of South Korea with two to play. And it’s a trip to Korea which comes next for Team Melli in March.

Tonight’s international action sees Ethan Pinnock and Jamaica host Costa Rica in Kingston. The Reggae Boyz face an uphill battle to join Saman and Iran in Qatar, needing four wins from their remaining four games to stand any hope.