Group C of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup was one of four groups of nations competing at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The group's first round of matches were played on 11 January, the second round on 15 January, and the final round on 19 January. All six group matches were played at venues in Australia. The group consisted of Iran, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain. Iran and United Arab Emirates advanced as group winners and runners-up respectively, while Bahrain and Qatar were eliminated.
Teams Draw position Team Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings March 2014 Start of event C1 Group B winners 19 November 2013 13th 2011 Winners (1968, 1972, 1976) 42 51 C2 Group E winners 15 November 2013 9th 2011 Runners-up (1996) 61 80 C3 Group D runners-up 19 November 2013 9th 2011 Quarter-finals (2000, 2011) 101 92 C4 Group D winners 15 November 2013 5th 2011 Fourth place (2004) 106 110
Notes
Standings
In the quarter-finals: Iran advanced to play Iraq (runner-up of Group D). United Arab Emirates advanced to play Japan (winner of Group D).
Matches
United Arab Emirates vs Qatar A brace each from forwards Ahmed Khalil and Ali Mabkhout gave the United Arab Emirates a comprehensive 4–1 win over Arabian Gulf Cup champions Qatar in their opener at Canberra Stadium. Two-time quarter-finalists and Qatar took the lead courtesy of Khalfan Ibrahim's 22nd minute chipped effort, but the scores were leveled at 36 minutes by former Asian Young Footballer of the Year Khalil from close range.Asian Cup: UAE beats Qatar 4-1 thanks to Ahmed Khalil and Ali Mabkhout doubles
Set-pieces in the second half were to prove Qatar's undoing as first Khalil at 51 minutes and then Mabkhout at 56 minutes profited from dead-ball situations, before Mabkhout got his second in the dying minutes of the game to help the UAE into the all-important knockout stage qualification spots in the opening round of Group C games. An even opening spell in Australia's capital saw two teams intent on attack, and inside the first 10 minutes there was goalmouth action at either end of the field as Khalil and Mabkhout both saw efforts ruffle the side-netting, while Qatari defender Abdulaziz Hatem had a dangerous cross turned away at the back post by Mohamed Abdulrahman.
With such an open game in the making, it was no surprise that the first goal came not long after as Majed Naser could only push out Mohammed Muntari’s close range effort as far as Ibrahim who controlled the ball on his chest before delicately sending a flying volley over the stranded goalkeeper on the line. Khalil came close to drawing the UAE back within three minutes, though, as his downward header demanded a sprawling save from Qasem Burhan in the Qatar goal, flicking the ball around his own post. At the other end, Abdelkarim Hassan almost extended the lead with a driving shot from distance into the side-netting, but with nine minutes of the half remaining the Emirates had drawn level. Burhan came and failed to collect, and Abdelaziz Sanqour whipped the ball across goal where Khalil’s header was blocked back to him by Ibrahim Majed on the line and rebounded in off the Emirati forward's chest. Qatar coach Djamel Belmadi brought on 2014 WAFF Championship top scorer Boualem Khoukhi after the break to add some cutting edge to his attack, but just six minutes after the restart it was the UAE who went ahead for the first time in the match. The goal came from the boot of Khalil, who had threatened for much of the first period, taking full advantage from a dangerous set-piece on the corner of the penalty area to loop his free kick into the far corner of the goal. And just five minutes later the UAE profited again from a dead-ball situation. This time Khamis Esmaeel’s on-target free kick was fumbled by Burhan and Mabkhout was first on the scene to follow up and drill the ball home.
Forwards Ismail Mohamad and Meshal Adulla entered the fray after the hour mark to try and reduce the deficit for Qatar, and the former went closest, forcing Naser into a flying block at his near post. The Emirati custodian almost inadvertently gave Qatar a way back in with five minutes remaining as he turned Hassan’s near post shot onto his own upright but Mabkhout then put the game beyond doubt at the 90th minute as he combined with Omar Abdulrahman to rifle home from six yards.UAE too classy for Qatar
GK 1 Majed Naser (c)RB 14Abdelaziz SanqourCB 8 Hamdan Al-Kamali CB 6 Mohanad SalemLB 3 Walid Abbas DM 16Mohamed Abdulrahman RM 13Khamis EsmaeelLM 5 Amer Abdulrahman AM 10Omar AbdulrahmanCF 7 Ali MabkhoutCF 11Ahmed Khalil Substitutions:MF 15Ismail Al Hammadi MF 17Majed Hassan MF 4 Habib Fardan Manager:Mahdi Ali GK 1 Qasem BurhanRB 18Mohammed Tresor AbdullahCB 4 Almahdi Ali MukhtarCB 13Ibrahim Majid (c)LB 3 Abdelkarim HassanDM 20Karim Boudiaf DM 23Ahmed Abdul Maqsoud CM 5 Abdulaziz HatemRF 11Hassan Al-HaydosCF 19Mohammed Muntari LF 10Khalfan Ibrahim Substitutions:DF 16Boualem Khoukhi FW 17Ismaeel Mohammad FW 9 Meshal Abdullah Manager: Djamel Belmadi
Man of the Match: Ahmed Khalil (United Arab Emirates)
Assistant referees: Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea) Yoon Kwang-yeol (South Korea) Fourth official: Yudai Yamamoto (Japan) Fifth official: Najah Raham Rashid (Iraq)
Iran vs Bahrain
Ehsan Hajsafi and Masoud Shojaei scored either side of half-time for Iran, who were roared on by the vast majority of the 17,712 strong crowd in Melbourne.Cup 2015: Iran start campaign with impressive win over Bahrain at AAMI Park Hajsafi opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time when his volley looped under the bar after Bahrain had partially cleared a corner, while Shojaei doubled Iran's lead in the 71st minute from another set piece. Iran showed plenty of power down the flanks, guile in midfield and defensive solidity and, barring a number of dubious offside calls, could have won by more than two goals. Iran supporters had been raucously cheering their team for at least half an hour before the game began but it was Bahrain who made the brighter start.Asian Cup: Iran beats Bahrain, UAE downs Qatar in Group C
Jaycee John Okwunwanne struck an audacious volley just wide, while Sayed Saeed should have done better with his free header in the 16th minute, following Sami Al-Husaini's clever chip over Iran's defence. But, after Bahrain's early flurry, Iran began to create some opportunities of their own, with Ashkan Dejagah failing to convert a one-on-one chance in the 20th minute. Two minutes later Reza Ghoochannejhad dinked the ball to a marginally offside Hajsafi, who picked out the top corner and was consequently booked, while Morteza Pouraliganji volleyed over the bar from a free-kick. Iran also had the ball in the net at the half-hour mark but were again denied by the offside flag and, after dominating the rest of the first period, Carlos Queiroz's side deservedly hit the front just before the break when Hajsafi volleyed home.Asian Cup: Iran beats Bahrain 2-0 in Melbourne thanks to brilliant strike from Ehsan Rajsafi The Persians could have doubled their lead immediately after the restart with Reza Ghoochannejhad bursting onto Hajsafi's pass before firing wide. The miss was moot, however, as the Charlton Athletic striker would have been denied a goal due to an incorrectly raised offside flag. But apart from Ghoochannejhad's chance, the opening 15 minutes of the second half were rather tame, before John did well to bring down a long ball and then cracked a shot on target that Iran goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi could only parry. Another poor offside call thwarted Iran in the 63rd minute as Ghoochannejhad tapped in from Shojaei's cut-back. But, there was no problem eight minutes later when Shojaei volleyed Andranik Teymourian's corner inside the far post to cap off a fine performance by Iran.Iran sends Bahrain to opening defeat; UAE routs Qatar
GK 1 Alireza HaghighiRB 11Vouria GhafouriCB 4 Jalal HosseiniCB 8 Morteza PouraliganjiLB 23Mehrdad PooladiCM 14Andranik TeymourianCM 6 Javad Nekounam (c)RW 21Ashkan Dejagah AM 7 Masoud Shojaei LW 3 Ehsan Hajsafi CF 16Reza Ghoochannejhad Substitutions:FW 20Sardar Azmoun FW 18Alireza Jahanbakhsh FW 17Soroush Rafiei Manager: Carlos Queiroz GK 1 Sayed JafferRB 15Abdullah Omar CB 17Hussain Ali BabaCB 2 Mohamed Husain (c)LB 3 Waleed Al-Hayam RM 20Sami Al-Husaini CM 12Faouzi AaishCM 7 Abdulwahab Al-SafiLM 4 Sayed SaeedCF 14Jaycee John OkwunwanneCF 11Ismail Abdullatif Substitutions:DF 23Rashed Al-Hooti MF 9 Abdulwahab Al-Malood MF 8 Sayed Ahmed Manager:Marjan Eid
Man of the Match: Ehsan Hajsafi (Iran)
Assistant referees: Matthew Cream (Australia) Paul Cetrangolo (Australia) Fourth official: Christopher Beath (Australia) Fifth official: Akane Yagi (Japan)
Bahrain vs United Arab Emirates The fastest goal ever scored in AFC Asian Cup history from the boot of Ali Mabkhout and a second-half own goal by Mohamed Husain were enough to give the United Arab Emirates a 2–1 victory over Bahrain. Striker Mabkhout's historic opener came within just 14 seconds of kick-off in the Group C match played at a sun-drenched Canberra Stadium. However, Nigeria-born striker Jaycee John Okwunwanne brought Bahrain back into a tie with a header before the half hour mark.UAE score after 14 seconds in Bahrain win
The match continued in end-to-end fashion and it took an unfortunate own goal from Bahrain captain Hussain at the 74th minute to separate the sides as the island nation were eliminated from the tournament, following their defeat on Sunday to Iran. After a convincing 4–1 victory over Arabian Gulf Cup champions Qatar at Canberra Stadium on 11 January, UAE coach Mahdi Ali made just one change to his starting 11 with Mohamed Ahmad replacing Mohanad Salem in defense. Bahrain coach Marjan Eid, meanwhile, brought in four new faces as he looked for a positive result to ensure his side's tournament would continue to the final group game. But Eid could have hardly prepared for what happened in the opening seconds of the game. Shortly after the kickoff, Bahrain defender Abdullah Omar lost the ball to Omar Abdulrahman in the right-back position and the playmaker's immediate lofted pass found Mabkhout running through on goal to slip the ball under goalkeeper Sayyid Muhammad Ja'far for an extraordinary start to the contest. Despite the stunning setback, Bahrain looked to respond and Abdulwahab Al Malood and Jaycee John both had volleyed efforts at Majed Naser's goal that flew wide. Mohamed Abdulrahman could have then helped the UAE go two goals to the good after he did well to retain possession inside the penalty area and play in Ahmed Khalil, but the striker could only fire his shot onto the foot of Jaffer's near post.Red hot Mabkhout helps UAE overcome Bahrain 2-1