Al-Rouhi snatches a point for Oman from Iraq

Iraq and Oman played to a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the 27th Gulf Cup football tournament, held in the Saudi city of Jeddah and running until October 6 next year.

The match took place at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium as part of the first round of Group A, which also includes Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Iraq took the lead early through Mohammed Qasim Majid in the sixth minute, before Nasser Sultan Al-Rouaihi equalized for Oman in the 66th minute.

Iraq dominated the first half thanks to their players’ movements and physical superiority. The Mesopotamian Lions surprised their Omani counterparts with a strong and sudden start, taking the lead after just six minutes. A pass from Ayman Hussein found Mohammed Qasim, who fired a powerful shot from inside the penalty area into the far left corner of goalkeeper Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini’s net. Iraq controlled the midfield and imposed their dominance through rapid movements that disrupted the Omani defense.

Oman returned to the contest in the second half, organizing their play by relying on wide areas and penetrating through the center. They attempted to counter the advanced defensive style employed by Australian coach Graham Arnold using counter-attacks. However, their efforts did not pose a significant threat to Ahmed Basil’s goal, although Al-Mukhaini saved his net from a shot by Hassan Abdul Karim.

In the second half, Arnold substituted defender Mitham Jabbar for Akaam Hashem, then brought on Ali Jasim for Mohammed Qasim, and introduced Mohammed Dalawr Ismail in his international debut for Mustafa Saadoun, who had been injured. Omani coach Tariq Al-Skatioui made attacking changes, bringing on Essam Al-Subhi and Walid Al-Muslemi for Khaled Al-Buraiki and Musab Al-Shaqaasi.

Al-Mukhaini saved his goal from a free-kick by Hassan Abdul Karim in the 65th minute, and then from a shot by captain Ayman Hussein in the 66th minute. Taking advantage of a lapse in Iraq’s defense, Nasser Al-Rouaihi broke through from the right wing, went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and fired a powerful shot into the net to equalize. Arnold responded by introducing striker Saif Rashid in his international debut for Hassan Abdul Karim to boost attacking threat. Both teams made several substitutions that did not change the scoreline.