MUSCAT, SEPT 25
The Oman Under-17 national football team bowed out early from the ongoing Gulf Cup in Doha after suffering a second consecutive defeat, losing 1–0 to hosts Qatar at Hamad Al Kabir Stadium.
With this victory, Qatar officially secured qualification to the semifinals alongside the UAE, who defeated Yemen 2–1 at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium. Both Qatar and the UAE now have six points, while Oman and Yemen exit the competition without a single point.
The match began at a slow tempo, with neither side posing real danger in the opening 15 minutes. Qatar tried to exploit the pace of winger Tamim al Qadi on the right flank, but Oman’s defence remained solid and cleared the danger. Oman won a corner in the eighth minute, but it did not trouble the Qatari defence. In the 19th minute, Muhannad Jamil’s free kick struck the wall and was easily collected by Omani goalkeeper Abdullah al Zaabi. The best chance of the half came in the 34th minute when Tamim Al Qadi’s powerful shot rattled the post, leaving the first half goalless.
Qatar intensified their pressure at the start of the second half, with Muhannad Jamil missing a golden opportunity in the 46th minute. Substitute Yazan Hani fired just wide in the 63rd, before Oman responded through Saad al Maamari, whose long-range shot was comfortably saved by the Qatari goalkeeper. In the 64th minute, Zaid Faisal struck a powerful effort over the bar. The deadlock held until the fourth minute of stoppage time, when Faisal Saeed Arhbein pounced inside the box to slot home the winner, sealing a dramatic 1–0 victory for Qatar.
In Group Two, Saudi Arabia continued their dominant form to secure early qualification with a resounding 4–0 win over Kuwait, moving up to six points. Iraq boosted their chances with a 2–0 victory over Bahrain, reaching four points and emerging as the front-runner to join Saudi Arabia in the semifinals. Kuwait remain on one point, while Bahrain sit at the bottom with no points.
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