Portugal's last group-stage game at the World Cup against Iran is crucial for the team to seal their place in the knockout stage, Portugal head coach Fernando Santos said on Wednesday.
Portugal defeated Morocco 1-0 in their second game at the tournament with Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the only goal with a diving header just four minutes into the match.
“The most important thing is the game against Iran. We have four points, nothing’s decided yet despite the victory. Now they [Morocco] have no chance of making it to the knockout stage, but all of the other teams still have a chance. So now it's important for us to prepare well for the game [against Iran], and then we’ll see what happens,” Santos told journalists at the post-match press conference.
The head coach refused to say whether the team would be able to repeat their success at UEFA Euro 2016, when Portugal managed to win the trophy, despite not winning any of their three matches in the group stage.
"Let's see after the group stage is over, the results are unpredictable. And then we have to focus on the second half of the tournament. As of now I'm awaiting a difficult match against Iran. As for your question about whether we'll be able to repeat our success from the Euro, I'll answer that later," Santos said.
Portugal, who are currently top of Group B with four points, will play Iran at the Mordovia Arena in Saransk on 25 June.
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