China won the bronze medal by beating Thailand 3-0.

The outcome of the all-Middle East final, played on the first day of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, was never in doubt even when the Iranians had a player sent off late in the match.

Iran, with most of their World Cup squad on display, took control from the start going into the lead in only the seventh minute.

Left wing-back Ali Karimi, a rising 21-year-old star who was playing in the Iranian third division only a few months ago, popped up unmarked at the right hand far post to nod home a corner which Kuwaiti goalkeeper Khalid al-Fahdli should have kept out.

Kuwait, the Gulf champions, were missing key goal scorer Jassem al-Huwaidi with a thigh injury and could not break the firm grip the hard-working Iranian mid-field had on the game.

Theirdefence also was in trouble without kingpin Mohammed Khakpour.

Iran extended their lead in the 27th minute as Karim Bagheri of German second division side Arminia Bielefeld won yet another ball in mid-field, charged through a static Kuwaiti defence and rounded Al-Fahdli before firing home from a narrow angle. Four minutes later, it should have been all over as Bayern Munich striker Ali Daei put Ali Mousavi through, but poor ball control on a bumpy pitch gave al-Fahdli enough time to block the eventual shot.