Nesterov failed to deal with a long throw that was flicked on by Mohammad Ghazi and Mohammad Reza Khalatbari was on hand to poke home from close range for the winning goal just before the half-hour mark.

Rivaldo was sent-off in the second period for a high challenge on Mohammad Mansouri and despite some late pressure, Bunyodkor failed to find an equaliser as their hopes of making the last 16 were severely dented.

Boss Luiz Felipe Scolari had sprung a surprise by naming both Rivaldo and Joao Victor in his starting line-up despite ruling the pair out, although the Brazilian midfielder did not look fully fit

Victor Karpenko was first to sting the hands of Zob Ahan keeper Shahab Gordan after six minutes and Denilson saw a header bounce wide three minutes later.

Jasur Hasanov then wasted a good shooting chance. Rivaldo attempted to lift the ball into Denilson’s path but it fell to Hasanov inside the box only for the midfielder to fire wide.

Zob Ahan then took the lead against the run of play just before the half-hour mark thanks to Nesterov’s error.

A long throw from the right was flicked on by Ghazi on the edge of the six yard box and Nesetrov dropped the ball at the feet of a grateful Khalatbari, who poked it into the back of the net from three yards out.

Rivaldo wasted a great chance to level in the 37th minute when Denilson let a ball hooked across the box run on to his fellow Brazilian but he fired disappointingly wide.

Server Djeparov then shot narrowly off target from the edge of the box before the midfielder again failed to trouble Gordan from inside the box after Rivaldo had nodded down a deep cross six minutes into the second-half.

And in the 66th minute, the Brazilian playmaker was show a straight red for a high foot when contesting a ball with Mansouri, his boot connecting somewhere around the midfielder’s chin.

The game descended into a niggly affair and Nesterov turned Igor Castro’s shot behind before the Brazilian nearly sewed up the points for Zob Ahan in the 81st minute.

Castro burst between two defenders into the box, rode a challenge, skilfully rounded Nesetrov and brilliantly stabbed a shot from virtually on the by-line towards goal only for the backtracking Anzur Ismailov to clear the danger.

Bunyodkor piled on the pressure in the closing stages with Gordan doing well to palm Djeparov’s fierce effort from the left edge of the box over the bar and from the resulting corner, Soliev unluckily saw his effort hit the bar.

Denilson was then denied by the Zob Ahan keeper and also headed wide as the Iranians strengthened their position at the top of Group B.