Soccer-Iran beat UAE 1-0 to rekindle World Cup hopes

AL AIN, United Arab Emirates, June 7 (Reuters) - Asian heavyweights Iran clinched a vital 1-0 win against the United Arab Emirates on Saturday to breathe life into their stuttering 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Ferydoon Zandi grabbed the decisive goal after eight minutes to move the struggling Iranians ahead of the UAE at the top of the Group 5 standings.

The three-times Asian champions drew their first three qualifiers, two of which were goalless.

The victory was the first competitive win for Iran since last year's Asian Cup in a year fraught with problems on and off the field.

Ali Daei's side, who have reached the finals three times, have six points, one ahead of the UAE and Syria, who play bottom side Kuwait on Sunday. (Writing by Martin Petty in Bangkok, editing by Miles Evans)