Oman, Bahrain in 1-1 draw at AFC Under-19 qualifiers
Though Mohammed Obaid’s 82nd minute strike gave Oman the lead, Bahrain’s Mohamed Waleed spoiled Oman’s part with the stoppage time equaliser
MUSCAT: Unable to focus on the game when it mattered most, Oman wasted a one goal advantage and settled for a 1-1 draw against Bahrain in a crucial Group A match of the ongoing AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers in Kyrgyzstan capital city of Bishkek on Monday.
The result left Rasheed Jabercoached Omanis, with four points from three games, in the fourth place in the five-team group. Though they are expected to win their final group game against winless Nepal on Wednesday, Oman’s chances of advancing to the AFC U-19 Championship as one of the five best second-placed teams will depend on the outcome of the match between Bahrain and the UAE.
The UAE currently lead the table with nine points from three games while hosts Kyrgyzstan are in second with six points after having completed their group engagements. Bahrain with four points but on better goal average than Oman are in the third place.
According to news posted on the AFC website, coach Rasheed Jaber was obviously disappointed with the result. “I have really nothing to say! We were supposed to win this match very easily because we had many chances. However, we only scored once,” he said.
“Bahrain depended on counterattacks as they thought we are going to leave gaps. We did not do that. They had two or three chances to score in the second half. In the additional five minutes, we gave them a chance to score because of lack of concentration and discipline. I am not happy with the result of this match”, he added.
Bahrain rescued a point thanks to a stoppage time strike by Mohamed Waleed Althawadi.
The first half saw a 0-0 scoreline with neither team able to break the deadlock, while the second period almost mirrored the first.
However, in the 82nd minute, Mohammed Obaid Al Qaidi found a way past Bahrain goalkeeper Ammar Mohamed Abbas Jaafar Ahmed to give them a 1-0 lead as Oman was closing in on victory.
Mohamed Waleed Al Thawadi spoiled Oman’s party with a strike deep into added-on time to earn them a point. Full story @ timesofoman.com/sports