‘Better late than never’, says Iraq captain Abdulameer after UAE win

In a closely fought encounter, Khalid Al Hajri’s fine header from Salaah Al Yahyaei’s corner 20 minutes into the second half proved the difference between the sides as Oman won for the first time since defeating the same opponents in Muscat on Matchday Four.

That result, coupled with China PR’s 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia later in the day, means the West Asians are guaranteed to finish fourth in Group B as they prepare to bring the curtain down on their campaign against the fifth-placed Chinese side in the Omani capital on Tuesday.

With both nations having already sealed their places at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ™, Bento’s side went into their penultimate match second in the standings, two points behind an Iranian team they were aiming to beat for the first time in eight attempts in a run that stretched back to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup™.

And after dominating the opening 45 minutes at a sold-out Seoul World Cup Stadium, Son finally broke the deadlock with a fizzing shot from distance in first-half stoppage time as the Tottenham Hotspur forward’s goal set the Taeguk Warriors on their way to a rare victory over Team Melli.