Muscat: Oman faced their first defeat in the hands of Qatar 2-1 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The campaign, which also doubles as qualification rounds for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, saw the 2022 hosts Qatar take the lead shortly after kick-off, when striker Akram Afif scored after just two minutes at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in the Qatari capital.
Oman equalized the score in the 65th minute, when Al Mandhar Al Alawi levelled things up for the Gulf Cup champions. However, Qatar hit back in the form of Almoez Ali in the 71st minute to take the lead.
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The defeat means Oman will remain in second place in Group E and they will look to beat India and Bangladesh next month.
Speaking after the match, Oman coach Erwin Koeman praised his boys for their valiant effort. “My players showed their best form. They performed with utmost skill but there is always a home advantage for Qatar. But these are mistakes that we will look to rectify and we will bounce back in the next two games,” he said in Doha.
