Saudi Arabia’s Al Albulayhi celebrates after scoring his facet’s second objective in the course of the Asian Cup Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Oman at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on January 16, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
Roberto Mancini is not any stranger to a dramatic end. He was, in any case, supervisor of Manchester City when Sergio Aguero scored his well-known stoppage-time winner to seal the Premier League title in 2012. So as Ali Al Bulayhi scored within the sixth minute of added on time and Saudi Arabia got here again to beat Oman 2-1 within the Asian Cup on Tuesday, it was straight out of Mancini’s playbook.
“It is different. It is a different tournament, different team, different players,” the Saudi Arabia coach stated afterward.
Maybe so, however the celebrations it sparked contained in the Khalifa International Stadium underlined what it meant to his gamers and the followers — even when it was solely his staff’s opening sport in Group F. “We have to improve, but we did very well,” he stated.
Al Bulayhi’s header sparked confusion and chaos because it was first dominated out for offside after which given after a VAR overview.
To add to the drama, Oman initially thought the offside name had been upheld and tried to restart the sport with a free kick. Then when referee Shaun Evans pointed to the middle spot, it sparked jubilation among the many Saudi gamers and substitutes in entrance of followers because it appeared they believed the fulltime whistle had blown, inflicting an prolonged delay earlier than the match might resume.
Mancini might need performed it cool afterward, however he regarded more and more heated as his staff failed to search out an equalizer to Salaah Al Yahyaei’s 14th-minute penalty.
Oman withstood sustained strain from three-time champion Saudi Arabia till Abdulrahman Ghareeb scored three minutes after approaching as a second-half substitute.
His sensible particular person objective within the 78th minute regarded to have salvaged some extent.
Starting a run from outdoors the field, he confirmed velocity to burst away from Oman captain Harib Al Saadi after which dancing ft to beat two gamers and sweep a low shot previous goalkeeper Ibrahim Al Mukhaini.
Al Bulayhi’s winner got here within the sixth minute of stoppage time when Ali Lajami flicked on a nook for him to go in from shut vary.
Supachai double for Thailand
Supachai Chaided scored each of Thailand’s objectives in a 2-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan within the different Group F sport.
Thailand dominated at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium and will have scored twice early on when Supachok Sarachat hit the submit and Suphanat Mueanta had an effort come off the crossbar.
Supachai made his staff’s superiority depend within the twenty sixth minute when he transformed on the rebound after Bordin Phala’s shot was saved by Kyrgyzstan goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotaev.
Supachai scored his second three minutes after the break with one other close-range end as Kyrgyzstan struggled to cope with a cross into the field.
Source web site: www.thehindu.com
