Oman’s hopes for the 2026 World Cup qualification took a heavy blow after a 4-0 defeat against Jordan, driven by a brilliant performance from Yazan Al Naimat and Iyad Al Olwan.
JORDAN : Muscat: From the outset, Oman seemed more composed, dominating early possession. However, Jordan quickly turned up the heat, with Naimat nearly scoring twice in the opening minutes, breaking through Oman’s defense with ease. Though his first few attempts were thwarted, the 26th minute proved decisive as he connected a header from a cross, giving Jordan the lead.
Oman, rattled by Jordan’s constant pressure, failed to regain their footing. Al Mardi and Iyad Olwan repeatedly came close to widening the gap, with Oman’s defense crumbling under the swift Jordanian attacks.
The second half opened disastrously for Oman. A clumsy foul in the box by Oman’s number 13 handed Jordan a penalty just four minutes after the restart. Olwan calmly converted to make it 2-0. Moments later, in the 54th minute, Naimat struck again, sinking Oman’s momentum with a third goal and sealing their fate.
Despite a few flashes of promise, including an effort from Aghbari that hit the side netting, Oman couldn’t recover. Injuries and substitutions further disrupted their rhythm, leaving them unable to mount any real threat against a dominant Jordan.
Oman’s defense crumbled further towards the end as Olwan sealed the deal with a stunning long-range effort in the 87th minute getting his second for the night, capping off a dominant performance from the Jordanians.
With this defeat, Oman now faces a must-win game against Palestine on November 14 to keep their World Cup dreams alive. Many questions remain unanswered as Coach Rashid Jaber and his team have to return to the drawing board and come back stronger to qualify.
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