APL

On this day Toofan Harirod looked like a team that wants to make the semifinals for the third straight year. By taking the match against Simorgh Alborz 3-1 they evened their goal differential and can now earn a semifinal spot as long as De Maiwand Atalan defeat De Spinghar Bazan by at least two goals on Friday September 19th. 

Both sides made the other earn every inch on the pitch today. There were a total of 22 fouls, of which five resulted in yellow cards. Toofan Harirod's Ali Ahmad Yarzada, Waheed Nadeem, and Maruf Mohammadi were all cited for yellow card infractions. Forward Farhad and defenseman Abdul Hamid of Simorgh Alborz were also given yellow cards for rough play. 

Toofan stormed out of the gates to take a 2-0 lead over Simorgh in the first half, with goals provided by Abdul Rauf Qadiri in the 11th minute and Bashir Ahmad Azadni in the 33rd minute. In the second half Toofan came out with a defensive mindset. They dominated throughout the second half and stayed focused on counter attacking Simorgh Alborz whenever the opportunity presented itself. 

Simorgh Alborz withstood the Toofan blitz with a goal of their own, courtesy of striker Farhad in 58th minute. On this goal, the match stayed competitive until the very last seconds. Toofan's semifinal chances looked all but gone until the very last minute of extra time when Ahmad Fawad Kakar  scored on an eye-catching acrobatic goal in the 95th minute to breathe life back into his team's chances of qualifying.

Final results of Group B will be determined after the match between De Maiwand Atalan and De Spinghar Bazan on Friday September 19th. If De Spinghar Bazan loses by two or more goals, Toofan Harirod can reach to semifinal round with 4 points and a better goal difference. On the other hand, if De Spinghar Bazan win or draw then Toffan Harirod will be headed back home. 

Toofan will be watching Friday's match between De Maiwand Atalan and De Spinghar Bazan closely as their season will be riding on the outcome. 

To watch the best moments of this match, see the video highlights of the day, below.