AFC Asian Qualifiers
Oman asked plenty of questions of the Australians in the first half as Al Mandhar Al Alawi scored to cancel out Awer Mabil’s thumping opener, but second half goals by Martin Boyle and Mitch Duke steered the Socceroos to their third consecutive win in Group B, and their 11th in their Qatar 2022 qualifying campaign.
#AsianQualifiers - Group B | Australia 3 - 1 Oman
“The big problem that we had tonight was experience, which was the difference between the two sides,” said Ivanković. “Australia have experienced players who play in top leagues.
“We tried to have a good performance tonight but the conditions that we suffered affected us and I don't blame the players because they gave their best.
“At half-time, I asked the players to be cautious especially at the beginning of the second half but unfortunately we made mistakes which gave the lead to Australia,” he said.
“The defeat will not affect our determination as we have special players and I have full confidence in them in order to fix the mistakes and win the next match,” concluded the former Persepolis boss.
Victorious Australia head coach Graham Arnold said his side had been made to fight against a determined Oman side, but that they gradually gained control as the match unfolded.
“We got dragged into an erratic game at times as Oman threw a lot at us,'' said Arnold. “We talked to the boys at half-time and calmed them down.
“In the second half, we focused more on keeping the ball and making our opponents chase the ball and I felt that we took over the match."
With nine points from a possible nine, Australia can take a major step towards their fifth successive FIFA World Cup if they achieve a positive result against Japan at Saitama Stadium – a venue where they have never won – on Tuesday.
Oman, who lost influential midfielder Zahir Al Aghbari to injury on Thursday, face a crucial meeting with last placed Vietnam as they bid to close the gap with Group B’s frontrunners.
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