Sudden-death for Saudi Arabia as Oman clinch maiden crown

These are exciting times. And we sure are glad we are living here. The Omanis have finally laid their hands on the prestigious Gulf Cup, erasing the bad memories of yore. It was indeed the crowning glory. Billed as the dream finale, both teams lived up to their reputation. Every single spectator went through tension never experienced before, and it only mounted as was the case in Doha when Yasser Al Qahtani’s attempt in the final second was saved by Ali Al Habsi which took the match to the penalty shootout. However, it did not climax the same way as it did in Doha, breaking many a heart, as Oman cruised to title triumph via sudden death (6-5) after the shootout was tied at 5-5 here yesterday. Taiseer Jasim was the villain for Saudi Arabia, shooting wide and Ali Al Habsi anticipating well; skipper Mohammed Rabe’ea then ensured that his team kissed the trophy with a neat placement past Saudi custodian Waleed Abdullah. Though both the coaches — Claude Le Roy and Nasser Johar — were not available for comments after the match, the pulse was really felt as the ecstatic players ran laps of triumph and also used the Al Jazeera studio on the ground to dance and make merry. As said in the post match session, Le Roy enacted the roll of a perfect movie director, and his actors played their parts to perfection. It was indeed a dream come true for the entire nation, having been close to the summit twice before. It was indeed not a fantasy; it was all real for the naked eye to see and feast upon. The atmosphere was electrifying with the stands packed to capacity since afternoon. Many disappointed fans drove back home to watch their team’s triumph on television, while some hung around the stadium and joined the celebrations later. Many of the fans inside would have chewed out most their nails, and when Taiseer hit the ball wide, every one jumped up in excitement. When the OFA chairman, Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi, emerged on the ground and took a cheering lap, the mood was set, as the players were welcomed with a vociferous cheer. However, nothing was clear, how the final would be. But Le Roy’s offensive strategy kept Saudi Arabia on the back foot for most of the time and the first corner won by the three-time champions was in the 23rd minute. Also giving the hosts the push were the terrific work done by mid-fielders Fouzi Basheer and Ahmed ‘Kanu’ Mubarak, who was later rightly adjudged the ‘best player of the final’. If any team deserved to win yesterday, it was Oman, if one tends to count the number of chances that came their way. Twice they hit (once Ismail Al Ajmi in the first half and next Imad Al Hosni in the second half) the crossbar as well. Early in the seventh minute, Imad Al Hosni failed, while connecting a pass from Ismail Al Ajmi and eight minutes later he hit the outside of the net. In the 18th minute, Badr Al Maimani won a free-kick just outside the box when he was fouled, but his trademark floater sailed over the crossbar. Badr was later substituted by Ahmed Hadid, who brought with him more vigour in the midfield as Oman remained dominant as far as ball possession was concerned. Saudi’s potential striker Yasser Al Qahtani did run into Ali Al Habsi in the 26th minute but was not clever enough to deceive the Bolton goalkeeper. Yasser was once again in the picture, when he misdirected a free-kick after Abdu Taif was brought down by Khalifa Ayil. Just before the break Ismail Al Ajmi broke through the Saudi defence, only to see his attempt bounce back into play after hitting the cross-bar. The second half also started the same way as in the first, but this time it was Hassan Rabe’ea in action, and his first-timer was thwarted by the Saudi goalkeeper. Meanwhile, the Saudi coach brought in his trusted lieutenant, Ahmed Furaidi, to sharpen his arsenal. But the Oman defence was too good yesterday and playing all over the field with intelligence was Ahmed ‘Kanu’ Mubarak. Meanwhile, Hassan Rabe’ea continued to win corner-kicks at will, which raised the adrenalin of the fans. But the tall and burly Khalifa Ayil, though connecting corners confidently, failed in directing the ball into the net. Corners kept coming, but the hosts kept missing. With just five minutes to go, Imad hit the crossbar once again and Hassan Rabe’ea kicked the rebound away. And finally, Ahmed Hadid’s free-kick sailed over with the match venturing into extra time. After a cautious start, Oman made valiant attempts, but it was Saudi’s Yasser who spelt danger in the end. At the fag end of the extra time, he made a valiant attempt, but Ali Al Habsi was equal to task, forcing a shootout. Yasser was first to take the penalty, and he beat Ali convincingly, so did the other four — Saud Kariri, Ridha Tukhar, Ahmed Utaif and Usama Hawsawi. On Oman’s side, Khalifa Ayil, Ismail Al Ajmi, Hassan Mudhafar, Hashim Saleh and Fouzi Bahsir were perfect to force the sudden death. With tension mounting Taiseer Jasim kicked wide, sending the Omani players into jubilation and skipper Mohammed Rabe’ea pushed the ball into the net to set big celebrations all over the world. Many were emotional and many were over the moon as Mohammed Rabe’ea received the glittering trophy from chief guest His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture. Enjoying the moment at the prize-giving ceremony was Minister of Sports Affairs Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy and many other top officials. Missing at the medal ceremony was coach Claude Le Roy, who has often been quoted as saying …. “Triumph is for the players, the fans and the nation, while defeat is for me.” The coach certainly can’t relax as he has yet another big match coming up tomorrow, when Oman take on Indonesia in the opener of the Asian Cup qualifying. All said and done, we could see a windfall of prizes for the national team starting today. -- Source: Times of Oman