Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Muscat: Oman booked their place in the Fourth Round of Asian Qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup after defeating Thailand 2-0 on the same day Saudi Arabia failed to achieve the victory they needed over Group D table-toppers Australia.
Oman went into their final match third in the Group D standings two points behind the Saudis while the four-time World Cup qualifiers were six adrift of the runaway leaders meaning that the Gulf Sultanate would leapfrog Frank Rijkaard's side into second if they defeated the Thais and Saudi Arabia lost to the Socceroos.
And that was exactly the scenario that played out with 21-year-old striker Hussain Al Hadhri breaking the deadlock in the 9th minute before Abdul Aziz Al Maqbali settled the nerves one minute into second-half stoppage-time as Oman defeated the Thais - who had substitute Teerathep Winothai sent-off in the 85th minute - as Saudi Arabia conceded three times in a three minute spell to go down 4-2 to Australia.