Hanoi: Saudi Arabia will go into 2022 on top of Group B after a 1-0 victory over Vietnam at My Dinh Stadium on Tuesday made it five wins from six games in the final round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar campaign.
Saleh al Shehri broke the deadlock on the half hour with his third of the campaign with what proved the only goal of the game as the Green Falcons made it two wins from two against Park Hang-seo’s Vietnam.
The result means Herve Renard’s Saudi Arabia will finish the year at least three points clear at the top of the standings as they bid to reach the Fifa World Cup for the sixth time.
Vietnam went into the match aiming to pick up their first points in Group B, while Saudi Arabia were looking to get back to winning ways after their goalless stalemate with Australia last Thursday.
The visitors missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the fourth minute when the unmarked Al Shehri at the back post headed wide from just a few yards out after being teed up by Fahad al Muwallad’s cross from the right.
But the striker made amends for his miss in the 31st minute and again it was Al Muwallad the provider as he sent a lovely delivery from the byline towards Al Shehri, whose looping header just edged over the line despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong.
The goal appeared to calm any Saudi nerves as they began to spray the ball around with confidence and the Green Falcons almost doubled their advantage early in the second half.
Captain Salman al Faraj slipped in Nasser al Dawsari down the left and his first-time cross was stabbed goalwards by his namesake Salem al Dawsari, but Tan Truong was equal to the challenge as he got down low to deny the Al Hilal SFC man.
Renard’s team continued to push for the two-goal cushion and were denied by the woodwork in the 57th minute when Mohammed al Burayk’s deep cross from the right was headed onto the top of the bar by Ali al Bulayhi.
Vietnam had a rare sight of goal midway through the second half but skipper Que Ngoc Hai volleyed wide from 15 yards after Nguyen Cong Phuong’s floated free-kick into the box.
Saudi Arabia then thought they had added the all-important second with 15 minutes to play, but the goal was ruled out after Firas al Buraikan was adjudged to have fouled defender Nguyen Thanh Chung before playing across goal for Al Muwallad to tap home. — AFC
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