Qatar Football Association
A second-half brace from Bassam Eid helped Qatar to muster a 2-1 comeback win over hosts Oman in Group C of the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ 2023 Qualifiers.
This result propelled the Ibrahim Al Shafei-led squad to the pole position in the group before taking on Lebanon in the final round on Sunday.
Qatar went into the tie at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex knowing they had to defeat Oman, with the home side sitting two points clear at the top. Oman, who had defeated Lebanon and Bahrain in their earlier matches, started on the front foot and took the lead in the seventh minute through Al Haitham Musallam Al Shekaily, who tapped in from close range.
Oman pushed forward, buoyed by raucous home support, in search of a second goal before halftime. Nonetheless, Qatar was able to maintain a manageable 0-1 deficit before the break. Oman led at the break, but a rejuvenated Qatar – who had previously defeated Iraq and drawn with Bahrain – took the game to their opponents in the second half.
Coach Al Shafei’s substitutions helped Qatar take control of the midfield and string together several opportunities to level the score; their reward came in the 55th minute when Bassam Eid was brought down inside the area for a clearcut patently, whereby the gifted playmaker converted himself.
The equalizer shifted the momentum in Qatar’s favor, and Eid’s late winner in the 85th minute guaranteed his team would enter the final matchday in the first place. Reaping the benefits of a defensive mix-up between the goalie and defense to score the second goal.
Divided into five groups of four, four groups of five, and one group of three, the Qualifiers will feature 43 Member Associations (MAs) vying for 16 available seats – 10 group winners and six best runners-up who will battle for the coveted AFC U17 Asian Cup™ trophy next year.