(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Oman failed to clear its first real test in the AFC U22 Championship on Monday night, going down 0-1 to a tactically and physically superior Jordanian outfit in a Group A game at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (SQSC).
Jordan's win leaves the fourteam group wide open after two rounds.
Both Jordan and South Korea now have four points each, while Oman is right behind with three points. Myanmar is out of quarterfinal contention though, having lost both its games.
Substitute Belal Qwaider did the star turn for Jordan in the 59th minute of a match that was played at a frenetic pace and witnessed several rough challenges.
A defensive lapse by Oman's Nadhir al Maskari on the left flank near the box allowed Qwaider to seize the opportunity as he darted into the goal area and rifled a shot past the Omani goalkeeper Mazin al Kasbi.
The hosts desperately tried to find an equaliser in the last half an hour's play, but they failed to get past the sturdy Jordanian defence. In its bid to progress to the quarterfinals, Oman must defeat South Korea in its last group match at the SQSC on Wednesday.
Jordan has a comparatively easier match coming up as it faces lowly Myanmar on Wednesday.
While the Jordanians are expected to collect full points and advance to the quarterfinals, South Korea would need just a draw against Oman to progress.
A good turnout of supporters at the ground seemed to have put the Omani players under a bit of pressure right from the start. Up against a fellow West Asian team, Philippe Burle's boys looked nervous and were extremely defensive, content with relying on counter-attacks that weren't working out.
Oman had a definite chance to take the lead in the tenth minute against the run of play when Jordan's goalkeeper, Mustafa Abu Mosameh, blundered by handling the ball outside the box. But Ali Nahar couldn't make the resultant freekick count.
Jordan came back strongly after that. With strikers Mahmoud Za'tara, Monther Abu Amara and captain Hamza Aldaradreh posing a lot of danger for the Omani defence, it had its first clear attempt on goal in the 18th minute.
Amid a gritty battle in the midfield, Oman had a chance in the 26th minute. Striker Sami al Hasani's shot missed the target by a few inches.
The home team won a few corners after that, but a breakthrough remained elusive. Raeed Ibrahim, who had scored the opener in Oman's 4- 0 drubbing of Myanmar, made a solo run shortly before the halftime whistle, but the move went in vain as there was no one around in the goal area to intercept his pass.
Qwaider came on after the break and the move from Jordan's coach Islam Aldiabat proved to be a masterstroke when he produced a neat finish on the hour's mark. Oman had a few chances to equalise after that. Muheeb Issa's header off Nahar's freekick in the 65th minute was a really close call.
Burle brought in last match's hero, Hatem al Hamhami, minutes after conceding the goal and soon made two more changes.
But Hamhami and the other substitutes, Abdullah Hadi Salim and Rashadi al Shukeili, couldn't find that elusive goal.
Meanwhile, in a Group B game at the ROP Stadium, UAE secured a 1-0 win against Yemen.
Yousif Saeed scored the lone goal of the game in the sixth minute.
UAE and Syria are on top of the group with four points each, while North Korea is just behind with three points.
Yemen, with no points, is no longer in the hunt for a quarterfinal berth.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.