November 13, (THEWILL) — Hungary edged closer to their first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1986 after defeating Armenia 1-0 in a Group F UEFA qualifying match on Armenian soil. Barnabas Varga’s 33rd-minute header proved decisive for Marco Rossi’s side, who maintained their qualification hopes with just one group fixture remaining.
The opening half-hour offered little entertainment, with neither team managing a shot on target. Hungary dominated possession but struggled to create clear opportunities until Varga connected with Dominik Szoboszlai’s left-wing cross, powering a header past Henri Avagyan for his 12th international goal. The Ferencvaros forward’s effort broke the deadlock and gave the visitors a slender advantage at the interval.
The second half remained tight, with Sergey Muradyan producing an excellent defensive block to deny Szoboszlai from six yards shortly after the hour mark. Alex Toth nearly doubled Hungary’s lead late on, firing narrowly wide from close range after Varga’s assist. Armenia nearly punished that miss when Nair Tiknizyan found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper 10 minutes from time, only to drag his shot wide during a swift counter-attack.
The result guarantees Hungary a play-off spot if Portugal defeat The Republic of Ireland later in the evening. Should Roberto Martinez’s team drop points, the Magyars would have an opportunity to qualify automatically for next year’s tournament when they face their final group opponent on Sunday afternoon.
Armenia’s defeat confirmed their elimination from World Cup contention, ending Yegishe Melikyan’s hopes of reaching next year’s finals. Hungary’s victory, whilst far from convincing, proved sufficient to keep their qualification ambitions alive heading into the concluding round of group matches.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
