MUSCAT, JUNE 6
Abdulrahman al Mushaifri and Jameel al Yahmadi netted the winning goals as Oman blanked Chinese Taipei 3-0 in Group D penultimate match of the Preliminary Joint Qualification for the Fifa World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 on Thursday at the Taipei Municipal Stadium.
The triumph meant, Red Warriors reached to 12 points in the group and inched closer to the next stage of the joint qualifiers and sealed spot in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. It is the third consecutive win for Oman under the supervision of head coach Jaroslav Silhavy, who took charge of the team since last February.
Abdulrahman scored two goals in the 31st and 55th minutes while Jameel al Yahmadi netted the third goal in the 74th minute. Zaher al Aghbari nearly celebrated an early goal when he sent a grounder just wide of the target in the 11th minute, following a free-kick by Harib al Saadi.
The hosts quickly responded as A Kouame crossed a perfect ball to Chen Hao-wei, who sent it towards the goal but hit the bar in the 18th minute. Chinese Taipei pressed hard against Oman, seeking an early goal. In the 20th minute, Chen Hao-wei crossed to Chen Po-liang, but his header was saved by goalkeeper Ibrahim al Mukhaini. In the 31st minute, Esam al Subhi took a shot at Pan Wen-chieh's goal, and Abdulrahman al Mushaifri deflected it into the net. In the dying minutes of the first half, Esam al Subhi had a golden opportunity to double Oman's lead, but his shot was saved by Pan Wen-chieh. The first half ended with Oman leading 1-0.
Coach Jaroslav Silhavy’s side started the second half stronger than the first, with Arshad al Alawi nearly adding a second goal in the 51st minute, but his shot went wide. Abdulrahman al Mushaifri returned to score another goal for Oman in the 55th minute after entering the box and successfully finding the target.
Chinese Taipei worked hard to get back into the match, creating several scoring opportunities, but Oman's defence and goalkeeper Ibrahim al Mukhaini thwarted all their attempts. Jameel al Yahmadi capitalised on a poor defensive clearance to score Oman's third goal in the 75th minute, securing victory and confirming the national team's 12th point.
In the final ten minutes, Oman had further chances to increase their lead, with Amjad al Harthy's shot hitting the bar and Arshad al Alawi’s attempt being saved by Pan Wen-chieh in the 84th minute. The match concluded with Oman winning 3-0.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
