The home side started brightly and were rewarded for their early attacking endeavours with a penalty at the quarter-hour mark when Ho Tan Tài brought down Ali Al Busaidi inside the box. Mohsin Al Khaldi stepped up to take the spot-kick but skied his shot high over the cross far to the disappointment of the large crowd at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.

Ho Tan Tài and Al Busaidi were again in the heart of the action as the Vietnamese midfielder dispossessed the Omani defender deep inside the latter’s half, then fired an effort that was parried by goalkeeper Fayez Al Rushaidi but only as far as Nguyen Tien Linh who was left with the simplest of tasks to bury home Vietnam’s opener in the 39th minute.

The visitors’ joy lasted just seven minutes as Issam Al Sabhi pounced on a loose ball inside the Vietnam penalty box, sending a spectacular bicycle kick into the back of the net to bring Oman level in added time of the first half.

Oman picked up right where they left off after the restart, taking the lead four minutes into the second half. Al Khaldi made amends for his penalty miss and did so in style curling straight from the corner kick into the roof of the net, leaving Nguyen Van Toan II rooted to the spot.

Coach Branko Ivankovic’s men cemented their win just after the hour mark as Do Duy Manh apprehended Jamal Al Yahmadi inside the penalty area and Salah Al Yahyaei slotted home Oman’s third of the night.

The win means Oman overtake Japan into third place, with both sides having picked up six points, but the Omanis' holding the advantage of their win in Japan in Matchday One as well as more goals scored. Vietnam, meanwhile, remain bottom of the group and still in pursuit of their first point.