Oman Defy the Odds to Draw with Qatar

DOHA, THURSDAY — The Oman national football team has proven that impossibility can be challenged. Although it was not a victory, Oman managed to secure one point after holding Qatar, which had full support from its home crowd, to a draw. What Oman achieved could actually serve as additional motivation for Indonesia, which is also facing a team with the advantage of being the host.

Oman, which had a dominant possession of only 30 percent, managed to hold Qatar to a 0-0 draw in the Group A match of the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday (8/10/2025) concluded less than an hour before the Group B match between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

Even with that draw, Oman occupies the top position in the temporary standings of Group A due to a superior head-to-head record. Meanwhile, Qatar is in second place. Both teams have collected one point each.

Only the winners of each group will qualify directly for the main round of the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, the runners-up will advance to the fifth round and face each other in a home-and-away format in November 2025.

On Sunday (12/10/2025), Oman will face the United Arab Emirates in a decisive match. Three days later, it will be Qatar's turn to compete against the United Arab Emirates.

In the context of the first match situation in the fourth round, Oman and Indonesia are actually in the same boat. Both teams must face their respective opponents who benefit from being able to play in front of their home crowd as they have been designated as the hosts.

The home team also has another advantage in the form of a six-day break between matches. Meanwhile, the opponents must play within 72 hours after their first match.

The designation of the host and the advantages gained by the team have become a focal point for Oman’s coach, Carlos Queiroz, before the match. According to the former assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, the situation faced by Oman is quite complicated and it would be a miracle if they could qualify.

"What can we say? We have to play at the home of one of the teams that is competing. They're placing the Saudi team in Saudi Arabia and the Qatar team in Qatar. If they don't see anything wrong with this, then who are the players and coaches to comment?" Queiroz was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

"We fought against Qatar and played again three days later, Qatar played six days after that, and they already knew the results and what they needed to do," he said again.

FIFA has granted full authority to member associations to designate hosts for rounds held in neutral venues. The AFC selected Qatar and Saudi Arabia based on the highest rankings in the FIFA rankings as of April 2025 among the six participants in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Qatar ranks 55th and Saudi Arabia occupies the 58th position. Four other contestants in the fourth round are Iraq at 59th, the United Arab Emirates at 65th, Oman at 84th, and Indonesia at 123rd.

If referring to the initial rules introduced by the AFC for the pre-2026 World Cup in 2023, the host of the fourth round will be awarded to the team with the highest ranking in the third round. If so, Iraq and the UAE, each accumulating 15 points, are the teams with the best points advancing to the fourth round.

The Iraqi Football Federation and the UAE Football Federation had actually issued an official statement requesting FIFA and AFC to reconsider the appointments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Both countries have also sent letters of request to the AFC. However, in the end, the AFC's decision remained unchanged.

Despite the unfavorable conditions, Oman proved that it could defy the odds. Moreover, Qatar not only dominated ball possession but also excelled in the number of opportunities. The "Maroon Team," as Qatar is nicknamed, made a total of 13 shots compared to 6 by Oman.

However, out of the 13 shots, only 2 were on target. Oman managed to take just one shot on goal, which came from Thani Al Rushaidi who executed a right-footed kick from outside the penalty area in the 65th minute.

Qatar squandered more opportunities, especially after the break when coach Julen Lopetegui introduced Abdulaziz Hatem. Hatem's presence actually increased the team's aggressiveness, but Qatar remained lacking in clinical finishing.

In the 77th minute, for instance, Pedro Miguel's header only resulted in the ball going wide of the goal. Similarly, Akram Afif's shot in the 49th minute caused the ball to veer off to the side.

With the success of holding Qatar to a draw, Oman has once again demonstrated its consistency. Prior to facing Qatar, Oman had only lost once in its last 10 matches in regular time. This includes a 2-1 victory over Qatar in the 2024 Arab Gulf Cup.