Roy Keane didn’t mince his words after Belgium’s goalless draw with Iran. “In terms of the quality of the game, I thought it was rubbish. Really bad,” the former Manchester United captain told ITV. “The standard in terms of the passing, movement, decision-making… so poor.”
Belgium, ranked 10th in the world and heavy favourites against Iran (22nd), failed to muster meaningful chances. Their misery deepened when defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off after 67 minutes. Ngoy, attempting a backpass to Thibaut Courtois, miskicked, allowing Mehdi Taremi to pounce. The young defender, last man back, brought Taremi down, earning a straight red.
“Roy Keane called Belgium’s 0-0 draw with Iran ‘rubbish’ as the 10-man Red Devils remain winless after two World Cup games.”
Iran thought they had taken an early lead when Ehsan Hajsafi’s clever free-kick found Taremi, who slotted home. But VAR cut short their celebrations, ruling Taremi offside. From then on, chances were scarce, with Iran’s Alireza Beiranvand producing a string of saves to keep his side in the tournament, while Courtois also had to be alert.
“It’s almost easier for Iran when they were sitting and defending,” Keane added. “When they had the extra man, they almost didn’t know what to do with it.”
The result leaves Belgium without a win in two Group G matches, having also drawn 1-1 with Egypt in their opener. They now must beat New Zealand on June 27 to have any hope of reaching the knockout stage for the first time since 2018. Iran, meanwhile, keep their hopes alive of a first-ever World Cup knockout appearance.