MUSCAT, JUNE 16
The Oman national hockey team secured a thrilling victory against Iran team 2-1 in the group stage of the Junior Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Cup which is underway in Singapore on Sunday. The match began with equal opportunities between both teams, with a slight advantage for the Omani team as they missed several opportunities close to the Iranian goal. In contrast, the Iranian team played cautiously and defensively, which prevented them from threatening Oman's goal, and the first quarter ended in a scoreless draw.
In the second quarter, Oman continued to press for a goal but was unsuccessful. Iran also searched for scoring opportunities but was unable to convert. The second quarter also ended in a tie.
In the third quarter, Oman's efforts paid off as they scored the first goal from a penalty corner by Talal bin Mohammed Bait Hazim in the 44th minute. This gave Oman the lead, and Iran responded by playing more defensively. The third quarter ended with Oman leading 1-0.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Iran tried to equalize but was unsuccessful. Oman then scored a second goal by Ali Al Ghafri in the 52nd minute. Although Iran managed to score a consolation goal in the 57th minute from a penalty corner by Shehani, Oman won the match 2-1.
With this victory, the Oman national hockey team reached to six points after their opening triumph against Kazakhstan. Oman's Aymen Faraj named as the best player in the Kazakhstan match while Talal bin Mohammed Bait Hazim was claimed the best player award in the Iran match. The Oman national hockey team will continue training to ensure they win all their group stage matches and top Group B to qualify for the final stages.
"The match was difficult, especially in the first two halves," Oman player Talal bin Mohammed Bait Hazim said. "We weren't able to capitalize on our chances, but at the beginning of the third half, we played better and were able to score the goals and steal the points from the match. We are determined to perform better in the remaining matches to ensure qualification for the semi-finals."
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