Tehran - Iran kept on course for a place at the finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory against North Korea in an Asian Group B World Cup qualifier played in Tehran's Azadi stadium. Bundesliga player Mehdi Mahdavikia scored Iran's first goal in the ninth minute, while Osasuna's midfielder Javad Nekounam put his side two up midway through the second half.
Jong Tae Se pulled one back for the visitors in the 72nd minute, but they could not break through the Iranian defence to find an equalizer.
The victory takes Iran to joint second-place in the group on four points with Saudi Arabia.
Table toppers South Korea also have four points from their two games, as do North Korea, but unlike the other three teams the North Koreans, whose only appearance at the World Cup finals was in 1966, have played three games.
Only ten teams out of the 46-nation Asian Football Confederation remained in the final round of qualifying games: Australia, Bahrain, Japan, Qatar and Uzbekistan in group A and Iran, the two Koreas, Saudi Arabia and UAE in group B.
The top two teams from each group qualify for the World Cup finals, while the third-placed teams qualify for a play-off.
Three-time Asian champions Iran reached the 1978, 1998 and 2006 finals but failed to pass to the second round.
