Oman and Iraq qualify for semis of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup

Muscat: Iraq and Oman qualified on Thursday for the semifinals of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup after beating Yemen 5-0 and Saudi Arabia 2-1 respectively in Group A matches. At Basra International Stadium, Iraq swept Yemen with five clean goals by Mustafa Nazim in the 40th minute, Amjad Atwan in the 64th minute and Ayman Hussein in the 74th and 75th minutes, while Hussein Ali concluded the goal spree in the 88th minute.

In the other match, which was held at the same time, Oman clinched the second qualification spot after defeating Saudi Arabia with goals scored by Al-Mundhir Al-Alawi in the 34th minute and Hareb Al-Saadi in the 84th minute, while Turki Al-Ammar scored for Saudi Arabia in the 41st minute. Iraq and Oman qualified for the semifinals from Group A after bagging seven points each.

Iraq is in first place on goal difference with Oman, while Saudi Arabia is in third place with three points and Yemen in last place without any points. The semifinal lineup will be completed on Friday after final round of Group B matches between Kuwait and Bahrain, while Qatar will face the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Coach Rui Bento said on Thursday the team is ready to face Bahrain. Speaking at a news conference in Basra, the coach advised the players “to focus more” on the forthcoming match, affirming that the team “is continuously evolving and players’ performance is also improving”, vowing harmony in the team formation. Bahrain is leading the group with six points, followed by Qatar with three, ahead of Kuwait on goal difference, while the UAE have no points. – KUNA