PORIYA Khanzadeh and Morteza Sharifi kept Iran’s FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship hopes alive, leading Team Melli to a crucial 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-16 victory over Tunisia on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Poriya scored 21 points, including 18 kills and three aces, while Morteza contributed 18 points from 10 spikes, five aces, and three blocks, as Iran moved level with Tunisia at 1-1. The result set up a wide-open race in Pool A for the two spots in the round of 16.
Iran’s Italian coach, Roberto Piazza, immediately urged his players to focus on their final pool-stage match against host Alas Pilipinas on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
“I already told the guys on the court right after the final ball—we have to take another step. We have to keep moving forward,” said Piazza.
“It depends on us and also on the result of the other match [Philippines vs. Egypt], but the first thing is that we can control our own performance. That’s why I prefer to focus on my team. We have to be calm but determined,” he added.
Piazza, who previously coached in Manila during the Volleyball Nations League with the Netherlands, noted that Iran still has work to do after losing their campaign opener to Egypt and dropping the first set against Tunisia.
“Two days ago, we weren’t in the perfect mindset. Our players were stressed and under pressure. It’s normal because, looking at the world rankings, Iran is ahead, Tunisia is behind, and they had nothing to lose. That shouldn’t disturb us,” Piazza said.
“We struggled to accept some mistakes and some incredible plays by the opponents. From the second set, we shifted our mindset a bit, and I think the team played better—not perfectly, but better.”
Ali Hajipour also played a key role, contributing 14 points, including three blocks, while Mohammad Valizadeh added 12 points. With the win, Iran emerged as the highest-ranked Asian team remaining at No. 14 after seventh-ranked Japan’s exit.
For Tunisia, Oussama Ben Romdhane and Ali Bongui scored 14 points each, leaving the team at a 1-1 record. They now must win their final pool game on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
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