Mahdhavikia gets his teeth into Asian Cup

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Reuters) Iran captain Mehdi Mahdavikia wants to flash a perfect smile if he lifts the Asian Cup so he spent his day at the dentist getting his teeth fixed.

Mahdavikia had one of his upper front teeth, a false one, knocked out during Iran's 2-1 Group C victory over Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Soon after the match ended, Iran team officials went back to the Bukit Jalil National Stadium pitch to look for the missing tooth but to no avail.

Undeterred, the Eintracht Frankfurt player, accompanied by Iran team mate Vahid Hashemian, went to a dentist in Kuala Lumpur to restore his winning smile yesterday.

Mahdavikia, who celebrates his 30th birthday five days before the Asian Cup final on July 29, made his international name at the 1998 World Cup when he scored the winner in Iran's politically charged 2-1 victory over the United States.

Reuters BJR GC1732