Ali Al Bulayhi netted the winner in the dying minutes as Saudi Arabia started their AFC Asian Cup campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Oman.
Roberto Mancini, who guided Italy to triumph at the 2022 Euro, is in charge of Saudi Arabia. He might be a bit disappointed with how his boys played in the first two quarters.
Oman had control of the midfield in that phase, penetrating Saudi’s defence down the flanks. As a result of that constant pressure, they conceded a penalty when Muhsen Al Ghassani was fouled inside the box in the 10th minute. Salaah Al Yahyaei converted it to bring joy to the Oman fans.
Saudi Arabia found their rhythm after 25 minutes and had better control of the midfield, dominating possession. They created a few chances but failed to break the deadlock.
Branko Ivankovic, Oman’s head coach, switched to a five-man defence to make life difficult for Saudi. However, Mancini’s team’s relentless attacks yielded results.
“Go, go Saudi, go to the next round, take the Cup away from Qatar,” fans backed the Green Falcons, singing this in their own language. Their players paid back.
In the 79th minute, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, who came in the 75th minute as a replacement for Saleh Al Shehri, turned Khalifa International Stadium into a theatre of euphoria as the Al Nassr forward dribbled past three defenders to enter Oman’s box and netted the equaliser.
Six minutes into additional time in the second half, the stadium erupted in joy as Al Bulayhi found the back of the net with a header. Though the linesmen spoiled their joy by raising the off-side flag, the goal stood following a VAR review.
Saudi Arabia are second in Group F. Thailand, who defeated Kyrgyz Republic 2-0 earlier in the day, top the table on goal difference.