By Fiona Equere
Gareth Southgate dey hope say England go fit go on a “fantastic journey” for di World Cup to bring “real happiness” to dia nation.
Di Three Lions go begin dia World Cup campaign against Iran on Monday.
“Our challenge na to give our supporters a tournament wey dey memorable,” dia boss Southgate tok.
“Our kontri dey go through a difficult time, wey dey in di middle of economic recession and life dey difficult for a lot of pipo.”
Southgate add say: “We want make dis journey wit di team bring real happiness.”
Di game as e dey happun
FIRST HALF
England 0-0 Iran
1 min: Di Three Lions take di knee bifor kick off.
4 mins: Both Maguire and Stones tumble inside di box as Trippier take corner for England.
6 mins: England dey attack again, Shaw dey left, and im cross dey cleared by Hosseini just in front of Saka.
8 mins: CHANCE! Trippier take a quick free-kick, slide am doen di for Kane and Iran goalkeeper Beiranvard save am bifor Hosseini clear am, only for Maguire to hit di side net
10 mins: Na clash of heads between Beiranvand and Hosseini, and di defender recover fast afta dem treat am . But di keeper dey bleed so im still dey down, e no dey look too good for am.
14 mins: Dem don finish to treat Iran goalkeeper Beiranvand and now dem dey change im shirt so im fit continue to play.
16 mins: Beiranvand don signal to di bench say im no fit continue and dis time, im dey go off.
19 mins: Beiranvand dey comot from pitch wit stretcher, so Iran dey use a concussion sub as dem bring on Hossein Hosseini.
21 mins: Iran don begin put pressure on England, for dia left side wit Mohammadi.
23 mins- Rice clear Jahanbakhsh free-kick, but Iran come again out dor di right. Moharrami curl one dangerous cross for di far post for Taremi, but e too much.
25 mins- Yellow Card for Alireza Jahanbakhsh Jirandeh
25 mins- Jahanbakhsh dey late on Shaw as im stand on di defender leg, im don collect di first yellow card of di game for dat.
27 mins- Mount squeeze di ball through to Saka for di edge of di box, and im take di ball around Majid Hosseini before im decide to go for goal. But na comfortable save by Hossein Hosseini.
29 mins- CHANCE! England work di ball well down dia right again, wit Trippier wey link up well wit Saka. But im shot hit di side of di net.
30 mins: England 0-0 Iran
35 mins: Goal!
England Jude Victor William Bellingham score from Luke Shaw assist.
39 mins: Di goal don give England enough ginger as dem dey move di ball quick-quick now.
40 mins: Iran dey try break England wit quick counter attack.
41 mins: Bellingham don become England second-youngest goal scorer for World Cup ( at 19 years, 145 days) behind only Michael Owen for 1998 ( wey be 18y 190d).
43 mins: Goal!
Second Goal for England na Bukayo Saka score wit Harry Maguire assist.
45′ + 1′: Goal!
Raheem Sterling score di third goal and na Harry Kane assist di goal.
45′ + 7 mins: Saka dey cause Iran defenders serious problems for di right side.
45′ + 9 mins: Sterling don score im first-ever World Cup goal afta im fail to score for im first nine appearances for im competition.
45′ + 11 mins: CHANCE! Na poor backpass from Shaw and e dey too high for Rice, dis allow Noorollahi to go forward.
Di ball reach Mohammadi for left side wey swing in a good cross for far post, but Jahanbakhsh hit di ball ova di bar.
45 + 15 mins: HALF-TIME
England 3-0 Iran.
MATCH FACTS England
- England qualify for di World Cup for di16th time. Na dia seventh appearance in a row, and dia longest run for di competition.
- England set di best goal difference for group stage of di European qualifiers for di 2022 World Cup, dem score 39 goals and concede only three (+36).
- Gareth Southgate don lead England to di last four in each of im two tournaments as national team head coach. Only Sir Alf Ramsey fit boast of a similar record as England boss (World Cup winners for 1966, Euro semi-finalists for1968).
- England striker Harry Kane win top scorer for di 2018 FIFA World Cup, five of im six goals come in for di group stages. No player ever don be top/joint-top scorer for two different World Cup tournaments bifor.
Iran
- Iran never progress past di first round of di World Cup bifor, dem don win only two of dia 15 matches for di tournament ( against USA for 1998 and Morocco for 2018).
- Iran don score just nine goals in 15 World Cup matches; at 0.6, dem get di lowest goals-per-game ratio of any nation to play more than 10 games for di competition. Dem only don score more dan once in one of dia 15 games, dat na dia 2-1 win ova USA for 1998.
- Iran na one of di 20 teams wey don feature for each of di last two FIFA World Cups for 2014 and 2018 – of those teams, na dem get di fewest shots (47), di fewest shots on target (10) and score di fewest goals (3) for di group stages across those two tournaments combined.
England line- up
1 Pickford
12 Trippier
5 Stones
6 Maguire
3 Shaw
22 Bellingham
4 Rice
17 Saka
19 Mount
10 Sterling
9 Kane
Substitutes
2 Walker
7 Grealish
8 Henderson
11 Rashford
13 Pope
14 Phillips
15 Dier
16 Coady
18 Alexander-Arnold
20 Foden
21 White
23 Ramsdale
24 Wilson
25 Maddison
26 Gallagher
Iran line up
1 Beyranvand
2 Moharrami
8 Pouraliganji
15 Cheshmi
19 Hosseini
5 Mohammadi
21 Noorollahi
18 Karimi
3 Hajisafi
7 Jahanbakhsh
9 Taremi
Substitutes
4 Khalilzadeh
6 Ezatolahi
10 Ansarifard
11 Amiri
12 Niazmand
13 Kanaani
14 Ghoddos
16 Torabi
17 Gholizadeh
20 Azmoun
22 Abedzadeh
23 Rezaeian
24 Hosseini
25 Jalali
Referee:
Raphael Claus