The Iran head coach, Carlos Queiroz, has hailed his players after they opened their FIFA World Cup campaign against Nigeria in Group F with a goalless draw
The team now has a point, same as Nigeria, and moves to the second position in Group F behind Argentina who has three points after defeating Bosnia 2-1.
The Iranians, seen by many as the underdogs, had the best chance in Curitiba when Reza Ghoochannejhad forced a fine save out of Nigerian goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, in the 33rd minute.
The former Manchester United assistant coach, Queiroz, is convinced his side still has a chance to qualify from the group.
During a chat with FIFA.COM after the match, the Iranian Coach said, "I am very happy but it was very difficult, we played against a great team and it was necessary to play a realistic game. I think we did well. We fought for every ball and every space, and we played 90 minutes with one thing on our mind - the first opportunity to score. It was a game that I need to praise my players, they deserve to be congratulated. We kept the team in the tournament and now we have Argentina. The most important thing is that everything is open for us."
The former Portuguese coach commended his team for showing hardwork and willingness to succeed at the tournament.
"They played a fantastic game in terms of their concentration, discipline and their willingness to work for each other. That was our biggest asset. The most important thing we can take from this game is that our morale is high. It's shown that we can get results," he added.
The goalless draw between Nigeria and Iran was the first in the Brazil 2014 World Cup.
The Eagles will face Bosnia next before a last group match against Argentina.