Oman football team secures a place in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup

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Muscat: Oman’s national football team secured a place in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup following a draw with Kyrgyzstan 1/1.

The national team also qualified for the final round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Oman, who went into the game with a two point lead over Kyrgyz Republic having already secured their place in the next round, hit the equaliser that guaranteed a first place finish 12 minutes into the second half.

Harib Al Saadi fed the ball to Khalfan on the right and the full back’s attempt to fire a low centre across the face of goal took a deflection off the Kyrgyz defence and Tokotaev could do little but pick the ball out of the net.

Mohammed Al Ghafri tried his luck from distance in the dying minutes as the home side sought a late winner but his unsuccessful strike meant the points were shared.

Eldiyar Zarypbekov gave the visitors the lead in the 19th minute but Abdul Aziz Khalfan levelled 12 minutes into the second half to ensure the points were shared with Oman winning the group.

The Central Asians needed only to avoid defeat by a seven goal margin to confirm their presence in the next phase of the preliminaries and at the AFC Asian Cup finals, but Kyrgyz Republic sought to avoid any uncertainty by taking all three points.

Joel Kojo saw his 18th minute effort deflected high over the crossbar by the Oman defence after Gulzhigit Alykulov laid his pass off to the Dinamo Samarqand striker and, from the resulting corner, Kyrgyz Republic took the lead.

Murolimzhon Akhmedov swung his set-piece delivery into the six yard box and Zarypbekov bundled the ball over the line from close range.

The hosts almost responded immediately, Issam Al Sabhi hitting a wayward effort with the goal at his mercy moments after the restart while, in the 31st minute, Salaah Al Yahyaei’s shot on the turn was kept out of the Kyrgyz goal when Erzhan Tokotaev spread himself to block.

Two minutes into first half injury time the visitors threatened again, this time through Alimardon Shukarov, who took aim from distance and Ibrahim Al Mukhaini palmed the strike clear in unconvincing fashion.