Oman U20 held by Bahrain in second friendly

MUSCAT: Oman’s national under-20 football team were held to a 1-1 draw by Bahrain in their second friendly match at the Royal Court Affairs Stadium on Saturday evening.
The result mirrored the first friendly between the two sides, played last Wednesday, which also ended in a 1-1 draw. The two matches formed part of both teams’ preparations for the AFC qualifiers, scheduled to take place from August 25 to September 6.
Oman made the brighter start and enjoyed a slight advantage during the opening stages. The hosts converted their early pressure into the opening goal when Ali al Alawi found the net in the 19th minute.
Bahrain responded by creating several dangerous opportunities but were unable to beat the Oman defence, allowing the hosts to head into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead.

The second half saw both sides create and squander a number of chances. Bahrain began to apply greater pressure and repeatedly threatened the Oman goal, while the hosts attempted to build their attacks through both flanks without finding a way past the Bahraini defence.
Bahrain’s sustained pressure eventually paid off in the 64th minute when Khalid al Khalaf scored the equaliser.
Both teams pushed forward in search of a winning goal during the closing stages, but neither side managed to convert their opportunities as the match ended level at 1-1.
The encounter produced a competitive performance from both teams. Oman’s Al Hassan al Qasimi received a yellow card in the 58th minute, while Bahrain substitute Abdulrahman Bassam was booked in the 79th minute.
Oman will continue their daily training sessions as part of their domestic preparation camp, which runs until August 1. Bahrain, meanwhile, concluded their Muscat training camp, which was held from July 18 to 26.