JEDDAH, SEPT 23
Oman fought back from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Iraq in their Gulf Cup 27 Group A opener at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City on Wednesday.
Nasser al Rawahi, Man of the Match, scored a stunning equaliser in the 67th minute to earn a point in the first match of Group A.
The tournament is being held in Jeddah from September 23 to October 6.
Iraq started strongly, with Mohamed Qasim opening the scoring in the sixth minute with a left-footed strike from inside the penalty area after a defensive lapse by Oman.
Ahmed Yahya had tested the Oman defence in the first minute, but his effort was comfortably saved by Oman goalkeeper Ibrahim al Mukhaini. The chance came after sustained pressure from Iraq.
Iraq continued to dominate possession and created three consecutive attacks in the 22nd, 24th and 25th minutes, but all three were cleared by the Omani defence.
Oman midfielder Amjad al Harthi tried to create chances with two crosses from the right flank in the 26th and 33rd minutes, but neither posed any real threat.
In the 38th minute, Iraq threatened through Hassan Abdul Karim, but the Oman goalkeeper made a good save to deny his effort.
Oman left-back Nasser al Rawahi made two of the team’s most dangerous attempts, driving into the penalty area in the 40th and 45+4th minutes.
Towards the end of the first half, Oman tried to regain control and keep possession, but Iraq held on to their lead to go into the break ahead.
HIGH INTENSITY
Oman started the second half with high intensity, with Issam al Sabhi winning a free-kick in the 51st minute, but the Red Warriors failed to capitalise on it.
Both coaches made several changes, most notably Oman bringing off striker Issam al Sabhi.
In the 64th and 65th minutes, Oman goalkeeper Ibrahim al Mukhaini made two crucial saves to keep his team in the game.
Oman left-back Nasser al Rawahi produced a stunning strike in the 67th minute to find the back of the net and bring the Red Warriors level.
Al Mukhaini continued to shine, making several important saves to keep Iraq at bay.
In the 79th minute, Iraq striker Aymen Hussein missed a close-range header from a cross, with the ball narrowly passing wide of the goalkeeper’s left post.
In the 90+2nd minute, Oman launched another attack, but the Iraqi defence cleared the danger.
Excitement intensified in stoppage time, but neither side could find a winning goal as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
The match was officiated by a UAE refereeing team led by international referee Omar al Ali, with Mohammed al Hammadi and Jassim Abdullah as assistant referees.
Bahrain’s Ammar Mahfouz served as the fourth official, while UAE’s Mohammed Obaid was the VAR in-charge, assisted by Qatar’s Meshaari al Shammari.
OPENING CEREMONY
The Gulf Cup 27 kicked off with a spectacular 15-minute opening ceremony featuring cultural and entertainment performances celebrating Gulf identity and Saudi National Day.
The ceremony featured cultural performances and fireworks, officially marking the start of Gulf Cup 27.
The second Group A match was played late on Wednesday night, with hosts Saudi Arabia taking on Kuwait at King Abdullah Sports City, which has a capacity of around 62,000 spectators.
The match was officiated by Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro, assisted by Pedro Ribeiro and Luciano Maia.
Qatar’s Mohammed bin Ahmed al Shammari served as the fourth official. China’s Fu Ming was the VAR, assisted by Morocco’s Hamza al Fariq.
The Group B campaign will get underway on Thursday with two matches. The UAE will face Yemen at King Abdullah Sports City, before Qatar take on defending champions Bahrain at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City.
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