Oman reach Gulf Cup semi after rare draw

Oman secured a place in the semi-finals of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup (Khaleeji 27) after winning a rare draw against Iraq to determine the second qualifier from Group A.

The draw was conducted by the Arabian Gulf Cup Football Federation at a hotel in Jeddah after Oman and Iraq finished level in all the tie-breaking criteria, with Saudi Arabia already through as group winners.

Both Oman and Iraq finished the group stage with four points, having drawn 1-1 in their opening match. They also scored four goals and conceded five each, while both teams received eight yellow cards and no red cards.

The draw favoured Oman, who joined Saudi Arabia in the last four after the latter topped Group A with a perfect record of nine points.

The final standings were decided following Monday's third and final round of Group A matches, in which Saudi Arabia defeated Iraq 2-0 at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah.

At the same time, Oman produced a remarkable comeback to beat Kuwait 3-1, recovering from a goal down to score three times in the closing stages and keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Oman and Saudi Arabia will now await their opponents in the semi-finals, with the remaining Group B fixtures set to determine the final standings. Qatar face the UAE, while Yemen take on Bahrain.