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A commanding first-half performance gave the Tabriz-based club a three goal lead before the capital Blues pulled two back after the interval to make it a nervy end for eventual champion.

Thursday’s triumph means that Tractor is now secured a place in next season’s AFC Champions League group stage, while Esteghlal – the Persian Gulf Pro League runner-up – will have to dig its way through playoffs for a berth in the group phase.

Mohammadreza Khanzadeh opened the account for Tractor in the 17th minute with a lob – although it remains unclear if his effort was intended for the goal or a teammate.

Farhad Majidi’s men found themselves trailing by two goals 17 minutes later.

Ehsan Hajsafi picked international teammate Ashkan Dejagah behind the Blues’ backline before former Wolfsburg and Fulham player kept his cool in a one-on-one situation with Esteghlal keeper Seyyed Hossein Hosseini for Tractor’s second goal.

Esteghlal players had an appeal for a hand ball by a tractor player in the build-up to the goal and replay footages suggested they rightly did so.

Akbar Imani seemed to have put the game to bed in the 41st minute when his close-angle header on a Dejagah’s free-kick found the back of the net.

The introduction of prolific striker Amir-Arsalan Motahari turned things around in the second half and Esteghlal seemed to be on course for a famous comeback when Blues’ prodigy Mehdi Qaedi headed home Voria Ghafouri’s cross five minutes after the break.

Esteghlal could have cut the deficit to one on a couple of occasions as Motahari’s header hit the post in the 62nd minute before Qaedi saw his effort cleared of the line by Tractor defender Meysam Taymouri a minute later.

Esteghlal, however, was given a lifeline with ten minutes left on the clock when skipper Ghafouri again made a perfect cross, this time for Motahari to score with a close-range header.

Tractor eventually held on late – in a game that saw the referee announce nine minutes of stoppage time – to win the final, with head coach Saket Elhami – who replaced Turkish Mustafa Denizli last December – finding his way into Tractor faithful’s folklore after leading the club to only its second-ever major trophy – after 2014 Hazfi Cup title.

Italian job?

Esteghlal, meanwhile, confirmed after Thursday’s defeat that the Tehran-based club – which will have to resume its AFC Champions League campaign in mid-October – is negotiating with Andrea Stramaccioni to reappoint the Italian as the Esteghlal’s head coach.

Majidi had announced his resignation a day after the cup semifinal win over archrival Persepolis in the shootouts on Aug. 26, slamming the club CEO Ahmad Sa’adatmand’s trip to Italy in an effort to lure back Majidi’s Italian predecessor – whom the Iranian replaced in December – on the eve of the Tehran derby.

Majidi, however, reversed his decision a day later but had insisted that Thursday’s final was his last game in charge of the Tehran giant.

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According To Iran News, Tractor football team defeated first division Mes Kerman 4-1 in the Iran’s Hazfi Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.

In the match held in Tabriz’s Yadegar-e Emam Stadium, Mohammadreza Khanzadeh opened the scoring for the host in the 32nd minute and Ashkan Dejagah and Reza Asadi (penalty) were on target before the halftime.

Mes player Bahram Rashid Farrokhi pulled a goal back in the 59th minute but Saeid Mehri made it 4-1 in the 77th minute.

Esteghlal will also play Sepahan in another quarters.

Esteghlal is the most decorated football team in Hazfi Cup, winning the title seven times.

Hazfi Cup is the Iranian football knockout cup competition, run by the Iranian Football Federation.

The winner of Hazfi Cup will be awarded a spot in the AFC Champions League.

The competition was founded in 1975.

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According To Iran News, Persepolis defeated Azadegan League team Shahrdari Mahshahr 2-0 and booked a place in Iran’s Hazfi Cup semifinals.

Ali Alipour scored two goals for the visiting team in the 59th and 72nd minutes.

Naft Masjed Soleyman also defeated Shahin Bushehr 3-2 in Masjed Soleyman.

Esteghlal was scheduled to host Sepahan on Monday but the match was canceled to air pollution.

Tractor will also meet Mes Kerman.

Hazfi Cup is the Iranian football knockout cup competition, run by the Iranian Football Federation.

The competition was founded in 1975. Esteghlal is the most successful club with seven titles.

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According To Iran News, Esteghlal football team defeated Fajr Sepasi 3-0 in Iran’s Hazfi Cup Round of 16 on Thursday.

The match ended in a 0-0 draw in the regular time in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium. Vouria Ghafouri was on target in 112th minute.

Sajad Aghaei extended the lead in the 118th minute and Dariush Shojaeian rubbed salt in the visiting team’s wounds in the 120th minute.

Shahrdari Mahshahr also defeated Esteghlal Novin Mahshahr 2-1 in Mahshahr derby.

The 2019–20 Hazfi Cup is the 33rd season of the Iranian football knockout competition and the final match will be held in Shiraz.

Esteghlal is the most-decorated team in the competition, winning the title seven times.

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The goal was scored by Ali Alipour in the 22nd minute from a wonderful free-kick.

Alipour was invited to Iran national football team by Marc Wilmots at the end of the match.

The match was originally scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. local time but was delayed for about two hours because Damash fans had failed to enter to the 30,000 capacity stadium after the seats were captured by Persepolis fans.

Persepolis had beaten Navad Urmia, Sepidrood, Padideh and Sepahan on their way to the final match.

Damash came into the match as the dark horses but a convincing 2-1 win over Saipa FC in the semi-finals gave them much to be confident about and they began brightly against Persepolis.

Persepolis completed a domestic double since the team had won Iran Professional League in May.

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The match finished 1-1 after 120 minutes of a tense game. In the penalty shootout, Persepolis defeated Padideh 4-2 and advanced to the semi-finals. The Reds will meet Sepahan in the semis in Isfahan.

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Reigning champions Esteghlal will face Naft Masjed Soleyman in Masjed Soleyman whil Persepolis host first tier Navad Urmia in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.

Hazfi Cup is a knockout cup competition, run by the Iranian Football Federation.

The Iranian football league was not being held during the 1980s, hence the winners of Hazfi Cup represented Iran in the Asian Club Championship.

After the revive of the league system, the champions of Iranian league qualified for Asian Club Championship and the winners of Hazfi Cup participated at the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup. However, the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup merged with the Asian Champions Cup in 2002-03 to form the AFC Champions League and Iran had been initially given two (and later four) slots in this competitions.

The Iranian football federation decided to award one of Iran’s AFC Champions League spots to the winner of the Hazfi Cup, and since then, the winners of Hazfi Cup have always been allocated a spot in the AFC Champions League.

The competition was founded in 1975. Esteghlal are the most successful club with seven titles.

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