MUSCAT: Youssef Amyn secured a crucial victory for Iraq, clinching a 1-0 win over Oman in the sixth match of Group B at the AFC Asian Qualifiers — Road to 26 at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Tuesday night.
This triumph elevated Iraq's tally to 11 points, trailing the leading team, South Korea, by three points following their match against Palestine, which ended in a 1-1 draw. This victory has reignited Iraq's hopes of securing direct qualification for the next round, while Oman remains on the six-point threshold. The qualifiers are set to resume in the following year, with Oman facing South Korea in Seoul and Iraq taking on Kuwait.
Both teams started the match with a strong desire to score early. Oman's attackers initiated their assault on Iraq's goal, with Mohsin al Ghassani receiving a free kick in the defensive half, which was not converted in the fifth minute. The first genuine attempt from the Red Warriors came through Abdullah Fawaz, who launched a powerful shot from over 35 yards, which was blocked in the 11th minute.
Four minutes later, Iraq's Ayman Hussain scored a goal, although he was found to be in an offside position. Following this, Ayman was issued a yellow card by the UAE's referee, Omar Mohammed, for a rough block on Oman's defender Ahmed al Khamisi in the 19th minute.
Abdullah Fawaz's efforts to set up a perfect cross from the left side of the box were thwarted by Abdulrahman al Mushaifri, who failed to score inside the box in the 26th minute.
In the 36th minute, Iraq's Youssef Amyn broke the deadlock with a strong right-footed shot from the center of the box to the top center of the goal, following a well-executed assist by Ahmed Yaseen. The match concluded with Iraq leading 1-0 at halftime.
Missed Opportunities
The second half commenced with a tactical change by Oman's head coach, Rasheed Jaber, who brought in Fayez al Rushaidi to replace Ibrahim al Mukhaini, who was sidelined due to an injury.
Red Warriors continued their relentless attack on Oman's defense, with Ahmed al Kaabi, Abdullah Fawaz, and Mohsin al Ghassani making numerous movements. In the 54th minute, Ahmed al Kaabi set up a great cross, which was followed by a powerful header from Mohsin, but the goal was saved by Iraq's goalkeeper, Ahmed Basil.
In the 61st minute, the coach of Iraq, Jesus Garcia, executed two strategic substitutions, bringing on Amjed Attwan and Saad Abdulameer to replace Ahmed Yaseen and Mohammed Hussain, respectively.
Similarly, Rasheed Jaber opted to rotate his team, introducing Issam al Subhi and Zaher al Ghabri into the lineup, with Thani al Rushaidi and Abdulrahman al Mushaifri being substituted out. The duo of Zaher and Issam significantly contributed to the Iraqi goalmouth through their adept handling of crosses in the box. Subsequently, Arshad al Alawi took over for Hatim al Roushdi in the 79th minute.
As the match approached its conclusion, Issam al Subhi was on the verge of scoring an equalizer, but his attempt from outside the penalty area was successfully blocked by the Iraq goalkeeper, Ahmed Basil.
Rasheed Jaber commenced the Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 with a starting lineup that included Ibrahim al Mukhaini as the goalkeeper. The defensive line-up was strengthened by Mohammed al Musallami, Thani al Rushaidi, Ahmed al Khamisi, and Ahmed al Kaabi. Harib al Saadi was positioned on the center line, supported by Abdullah Fawaz, Abdulrahman al Mushfairi, Arshad al Alawi, and Jameel al Yahmadi. The team's sole striker, Mohsin al Ghassani, was instrumental in securing the only goal of the match against Palestine in Oman's final game.
