Iran coach Carlos Queiroz was pleased with their 0-0 draw against Nigeria in their World Cup opener.
The unfancied Iranians had the best chance of a disappointing showdown in Curitiba when Reza Ghoochannejhad forced a fine save out of Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama in the 33rd minute.
Queiroz 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."
