Saudis thrash Oman
Two-time champions Saudi Arabia made a flying start in the AFC U-19 Championship Group A Qualifiers handing an emphatic 4-0 defeat to 10-man Oman in the opening fixture at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
Forward Saleh struck twice while striker Alsafari and midfielder Bassa netted one goal each for Saudi Arabia after Oman were reduced to 10 men in the 24th minute of the match following handling of the ball by goalkeeper Shawqi Gharib outside the penalty box.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Oman fought manly against the favourites before conceding the lead in the 45th minute. Saleh put the last edition's semifinalists ahead with a side-volley to the cheer of 50-something Saudi fans who kept inspiring their team singing their national anthem from the stands.
After the break, Saudi Arabia adopted a counter-attacking strategy to catch the Omanese defence off-guard when they went for attack.
Saudis exploited this strategy very well and struck three more goals in the second half to make a winning start in the qualifiers.
“The marching order was the turning point of the match and the first goal was relief for us. But we played counter-attack based game in the second half and in the end beat them comfortably,” said Saudi Arabia coach Khalid Al Quroni at the post-match briefing.
“Despite a man short, we wanted to play normal football. We have already forgotten this match and looking forward to the next matches,” said Oman coach Abdul Azim.
Comments