Oman exit Gulf U23 Championship after draw with Yemen

Muscat: Oman Olympic team officially bowed out of the Gulf Cup Under-23 Championship, held at the Aspire Academy grounds in the Qatari capital of Doha until December 16, after drawing 1–1 with Yemen in their match on Wednesday night in the third and final round of Group B.

Both teams exited the tournament together as Yemen finished third with our points, while Oman were placed bottom of the group with a single point earned from the draw with Yemen, in addition to two losses against the UAE and Iraq.

The Oman team started the match with clear attacking intent and almost opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Ammar al Sharqi broke through on goal, but his shot drifted just wide of the right post.

Oman played out a 1-1 draw with Yemen in their final Group B match.

Oman controlled the midfield, taking advantage of Yemen’s deep defensive stance under continuous Omani pressure. Despite several attempts from the centre and the wings, all efforts were neutralised by Yemen’s organised defence.

In the 32nd minute, relief came through Harith al Mashaykhi, who broke the offside trap, controlled a long ball expertly, and slotted it into the net to give Oman a 1–0 lead.

After the goal, Oman imposed their rhythm on the match, dominating the midfield through possession and ball circulation, with Fahad al Mashaykhi’s strong movements causing constant trouble for the Yemeni backline. Oman’s control continued until the end of the half, with the referee adding three minutes of stoppage time that did not change the score.

Oman played out a 1-1 draw with Yemen in their final Group B match.

At the start of the second half, Yemen shifted the momentum and began pressing forcefully in search of an equaliser, taking advantage of defensive confusion among Oman players, which led to positional and marking errors.

In the 60th minute, Anwar al Braiki nearly equalised with a powerful strike from outside the area that crashed against the crossbar. Two minutes later, Yemen found the equaliser when Faisal Maroof rose to meet a cross inside the box and headed it into Iyad al Malki’s net.

Oman's physical performance dropped significantly in the final half of the match, resulting in frequent passing and positioning errors that allowed Yemen to dominate and push closer to the rival's goal. Mohammed al Barwani almost scored Yemen’s second in the 70th minute with a header that went over the bar.

Oman and Yemen players in action during the Gulf Cup U23 tournament.

Minutes before the end, Mohammed al Awami’s run down the flank created repeated danger, the most threatening of which was a close-range chance that Oman defence cleared with difficulty.

In stoppage time, Oman nearly stole the win when Ghazi al Saadi received a through ball inside the penalty area but fired it without focus. Yemen responded with a final attempt through Mohammed al Awami, but Al Malki saved it, before the referee blew the final whistle to confirm a 1–1 draw and the elimination of both teams from the tournament.