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Iran, Nigeria could face lottery to advance

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — After three games at the World Cup, it could come down to a lottery to decide which of two teams advances to the second round.

Because of their previous results in Brazil, and the quirks of the FIFA tiebreaker system, there’s a possibility that Iran and Nigeria will face exactly that scenario after their last group games on Wednesday.

If Iran beats Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 and Nigeria loses 1-0 to Argentina, the teams would be tied with four points and exactly the same number of goals scored and conceded. The teams drew 0-0 in their first game against each other, meaning the only remaining tiebreaker would be a drawing of lots.

FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said the lottery would be held at the Maracana stadium 90 minutes after their games finish.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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