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Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Jaber lauds Red Warriors grit as Oman reach World Cup playoffs
MUSCAT: Oman football team head coach Rasheed Jaber hailed his side's fighting spirit and unwavering belief after they secured a dramatic 1-1 draw with Palestine on Tuesday in Amman, clinching a place in the AFC Asian Qualifier - Road to 26 playoff round. Needing at least a point to keep their FIFA World Cup dream alive, Oman looked set to crash out after conceding early in the second half and being reduced to ten men. But a stoppage-time penalty, coolly dispatched by Issam Al Subhi, saw them snatch a vital draw and book their place in the October playoffs. 'We knew this match would be very difficult. Palestine are well organised and have good players,' said Jaber, acknowledging the quality of their opponents who were on the cusp of advancing to the playoffs in their maiden campaign at this stage. 'They made it very difficult for us, and we then conceded early in the second half. Our situation was made worse by the red card (for Harib Al Saadi) but we never gave up.' Palestine had taken a 49th-minute lead through Oday Kharoub, and with Oman struggling to break through, their chances appeared all but over. Yet in the dying moments, a foul by Ahmad Taha on Mohsin Al Ghassani gave Oman a lifeline — and they seized it. 'Despite everything, the players fought until the end, and they had the desire and ambition. The players were determined to complete the qualifying campaign,' Jaber added, visibly proud of his squad's resilience. The result meant Oman advanced to the playoff stage of the Asian Qualifiers, where six teams will be divided into two groups. Besides the five other teams are Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, UAE, and Qatar. The group winners will earn direct qualification to the FIFA World Cup, while the two runners-up will face off for a place in the Inter-Confederation playoff, offering a final route to the global stage. 'Now we can think about the next round in October,' said Jaber. 'This is only the beginning — we still have work to do, but tonight, the players showed what it means to believe.'
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Oman's World Cup hopes remain alive as they hold Palestine to reach playoffs
Muscat: A ten-man Oman's booked their spot in the playoffs of the AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26 Group B as they scraped to a 1-1 draw against Palestine at the King Abdullah Stadium in Amman, Jordan, on Tuesday night. Issam Al Subhi converted a penalty in the injury time to earn a much needed single point to help them reach the fourth round along with Iraq after trailing Palestine for most part of second half. Earlier, Oday Kharoub's powerful header in the 49th minute got Palestine the lead but a never-say-die spirit of Rasheed Jaber-coached Red Warriors' earned them a playoff spot. With thr draw Oman finished with 11 points while Palestine ended with 10 points. Oman went into the match, needing just a draw to advance into the playoffs, thus ended their campaign with 11 points. South Korea (22 points) and Jordan (16) booked direct spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from Group B while Iraq (15) and Oman advanced to the playoffs as third and fourth placed teams from the group. For Oman, it was a memorable comeback defeat after they lost 3-0 to Jordan at home last week. Oman escaped an early scare when a header from Palestine player hit the woodwork in the fourth minute of the match. Munther Al Alawi of Oman had the best chance in the first half as he darted into the box dangerously only to find a defender make a last minute save. Both the teams failed to find the target till thr break but Palestine broke the deadlock soon after resumption when off a corner kick, Kharoub's header beat the Oman defence and goalkeeper Faiz Al Rusheidi. Oman tried hard to find the much-needed equaliser but their efforts suffered a blow in the 73rd minute when the experienced midfielder Harib Al Saadi was given marching orders by the Iranian referee for a tackle that earned him his second yellow card. Down by a man, Oman continued to put pressure on Palestine but the equaliser remained elusive till the last minute of the injury time when they earned a spot kick after Oman's Mohsin Al Ghassani was brought down inside the box by Palestine's Ahmad Taha.
