BISHKEK: Oman secured a spot in the AFC U-23 Championship Finals after beating Islamic Republic of Iran 2-0 at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on Sunday.
In the first half, both sides adopted a cautious approach knowing that a win would put them on top of Group A. Reza Jafari’s shot could have given Iran the lead in the 11th minute but his effort lacked precision.
Although Oman controlled the pace of the game, Iran’s Ali Gholizadeh came close to breaking the deadlock in the 45th minute but it struck the crossbar.
Three minutes after the restart, the Omanis opened the scoring after Jameel al Yahmadi finished Al Mandhar al Alawi’s (pictured below, left) cross, before Muhsen al Ghassani doubled their advantage 71 minutes into the game and with that, a ticket to China next year.
Oman head coach Hamad Khalifa al Azzani said their excellent preparation and hard work sealed the win.
“My team showed incredible dedication and the will to win. I thank my players for a fantastic game and result. We are very happy! I think that the main reason for our victory in the group was excellent preparation and we will continue to work hard for the future.” Iran head coach Amirhossein Peiravani congratulated Oman and said Iran players lacked experience.
“We knew that we would have problems in this game. The opponents were very disciplined. They played better than us in many moments. In general, we came to this tournament with a risky composition. Our young players did not have enough experience. My congratulations to Oman. They deservedly won a ticket to the final. We very much hope that we will get to the final part as one of the best teams that took the second place.”
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
