Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Muscat: Oman coach Rasheed Jaber expressed his delight after his team secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Asian champions Qatar in a Group A match of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait on Tuesday.
The win puts Oman on the brink of the semi-finals, and Jaber wasted no time in praising his players’ resilience.
“We achieved an important and difficult victory that we were in dire need of and this victory was achieved against a strong team that has good players and is the champion of the Asian Cup in the past two editions,” Jaber said.
He commended his players’ efforts both offensively and defensively. “Oman players made a great effort in this match, both defensively and offensively, by exploiting the opportunities in front of the goal in the best way,” the coach added.
Jaber emphasised the significance of the victory, particularly as Oman prepares for their next challenge against the UAE on Friday.
“This was an important and hard-fought win against a strong side. Our players executed their roles brilliantly to secure these vital three points,” he said.
“This victory will boost Oman’s confidence as we aim to qualify for the semi-finals.”
The result leaves Qatar in a must-win situation in their final group-stage encounter against Kuwait. Qatar coach Luis Garcia expressed disappointment over the result but remained hopeful for their remaining fixtures.
“We began well with an early goal but then lost our rhythm. In the second half, we created several chances but were unlucky not to at least equalise,” Garcia said.
“I believe the players did what they had to do and they cannot be held responsible for the loss.”
Garcia stressed the importance of correcting mistakes before Qatar’s next match.
Kuwait beat UAE with late comeback victory
Earlier on Tuesday night, Kuwait staged a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over the UAE at the Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium, keeping their semifinal hopes alive. The UAE took an early lead, with Kayo Kanido scoring just five minutes after kickoff. A well-placed long ball found Kanido, who lobbed the ball over Kuwaiti goalkeeper Khaled Al Rashidi, putting the UAE 1-0 up.
However, Kuwait responded quickly, with Muhammad Dham capitalising on a defensive blunder by UAE’s Khalifa Al Hamadi. Dham intercepted a poor clearance and scored to level the score at 1-1.
The second half saw UAE’s defence under pressure as they played with ten men after Kwamii Oton was sent off for a second yellow card in the 87th minute. With the clock ticking down, Khalifa Al Hamadi made another crucial error, misplaying a pass back to the goalkeeper.
Kuwaiti substitute Maaz Al Essaimi pounced on the mistake, evading the goalkeeper and scoring the match-winning goal in the final moments of the match. The win was Kuwait’s first in the tournament, following a 1-1 draw with Oman in their opener.
Following Oman and Kuwait wins, the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the group stage on Friday, with Oman and Kuwait both needing just a draw in their final matches to advance to the semi-finals. Oman, runners-up at the last edition in Basra, Iraq, will face the UAE at Jaber Al Mubarak Stadium, while Kuwait will play Qatar Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium. Both teams are tied atop the group with four points each, and a draw in either match will secure their places in the next round.
