The Iraqi national team achieved a valuable victory over Bahrain, 2-1, yesterday, Wednesday, to take the lead in Group Four, which includes Algeria and Sudan.

Iraq’s two goals were scored by goalkeeper Ibrahim Lutfullah with an own goal, then Muhannad Ali, while Hisham Al-Sayed reduced the difference for Bahrain in the 79th minute.
With this victory, Iraq raised its score to 3 points, while the Bahraini team remained without any point after the end of the first round.

The biggest controversy in the match came in stoppage time, when the confrontation witnessed an unsportsmanlike shot by Bahrain player Ibrahim Al-Khattal.
The shot began after a foul was awarded in favor of Bahrain following the intervention of Amjad Atwan, but what happened next changed the atmosphere, as Al-Khattal got up and headed towards Atwan very nervously, directing him with a “butt in the face.”

The referee did not hesitate to show the direct red card, putting the Bahraini team in a difficult position without one of its key elements in the upcoming rounds.

Al-Khattal’s behavior brought to mind the incident of French legend Zinedine Zidane against Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, which ended Zidane’s career as a player.
Although the force or circumstances of the headbutt were not identical, the similarity was clear in the element of surprise and unexpected emotional reaction.

Source: RT