The first half ended in a goalless draw after the referee disallowed a goal for Oman in the 44th minute due to offside, according to sports websites. The Saudis broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when Salem Al-Dawsari received the ball on the edge of the penalty area, penetrated the defense, and sent a precise cross that Firas Al-Buraikan headed into the net.
A quick response came in the 70th minute after a corner kick ended with a header from Thani Al-Rashidi to Ghanem Al-Habshi, who returned the ball with another header into Nawaf Al-Aqidi’s net.
Saudi Arabia participates in Group B alongside Oman and the Comoros, in an open struggle for qualification. The tournament opened yesterday, Monday, with a match between Tunisia and Syria at 4:00 PM at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
Five free channels will broadcast the matches, as the “beIN Sports” group confirmed that the entire tournament will be broadcast for free on the “beIN SPORTS HD” and “beIN Xtra 1” channels. The tournament will also be broadcast by Qatar’s “Al-Kass” channels, “Dubai Sports”, “Abu Dhabi Sports”, and “Kuwait Sports” in an open broadcast for the Arab audience.
