Football: Oman defeat Iran to qualify for AFC U-23 Championship

Muscat: Oman defeated Iran by a 2-0 margin in their final Group A match in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Sunday to qualify for the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship.
The result helped Hamad Azzani-coached Omani, who had earlier defeated hosts Kyrgyzstan 5-1, to top the group and clinch a direct berth in the Asian championship which will be held in China in January next year.
According to information posted on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) website, the crucial match played at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium saw both sides adopting a cautious approach knowing that a win would put them on top of Group A.
Reza Jafari’s shot could have given Iran the lead in the 11th minute but his effort lacked precision.
Although Oman controlled the pace of the game, Iran’s Ali Gholizadeh came close to breaking the deadlock in the 45th minute but it struck the crossbar.
Three minutes after the restart, the Omanis opened the scoring when Jameel Al Yahmadi finished Al Mandhar Al Alawi’s cross, before Mohsin Al Ghassani doubled their advantage 71 minutes into the game and with that, a ticket to China next year.
A delighted Hamad Al Azzani lauded his Omani wards for their dedication.
“My team showed incredible dedication and the will to win,” he said.
“I thank my players for a fantastic game and result. We are very happy!”
“I think that the main reason for our victory in the group was excellent preparation and we will continue to work hard for the future,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iran coach Amirhossein Peiravani said: “We knew that we would have problems in this game. The opponents were very disciplined. They played better than us in many moments.”
“In general, we came to this tournament with a risky composition. Our young players did not have enough experience.
“My congratulations to Oman. They deservedly won a ticket to the finals. We very much hope that we will get to the finals part as one of the best teams that took the second place.”