The tournament’s dark horse, Saudi Arabia, secures a late goal giving them the victory over Oman, while Thailand takes the win against Kyrgyzstan.
The fifth day of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 witnessed Thailand defeating Kyrgyzstan 2-0 at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium and Saudi Arabia surviving defeat by beating Oman 2-1 on Tuesday evening.
Thailand’s Supachai Chaided took the match’s first goal in the 26th minute, giving them the 1-0 lead.
Thailand’s Supachok Sarachat secured the second and final goal for the team in the 48th minute and framed the game with a full-time score of 2-0.
Chaided became the second Thai player to net in two Asian Cups after Sutee Suksomkit.
On the other side of the pitch, Oman opened their campaign at the AFC tournament against a dazed Saudi Arabia at the Khalifa International Stadium.
In a sold-out arena, Oman started the match with an early penalty via VA after Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Al-Tambakti tugged Oman’s Muhsen Al Ghassani, who was running to meet the cross.
Salah Al Yahyaei scored from the spot, creating a roaring cheer in the stadium as the Oman squad broke the hearts of Saudi fans.
After the shot, Saudi Arabia attempted to build their first spell of pressure but never found the chance to nail the net.
Several opportunities were seen for the Saudi squad, but the team found no luck in hooking in a goal as Oman remained defiant in their defence.
At the half, Saudi Arabia finished with no goals in the net, while a robust Oman squad looked for their second goal to secure the match.
After the break, Oman continued to dominate, controlling the ball possession and the momentum of the game as Saudi Arabia looked for holes in their defence.
As the clock drew down, Saudi Arabia got its luck as they set the equalizer, drawing fans to their feet as the game reached its final few minutes.
Tied 1-1, the stadium drew tense as both teams attempted to secure their victory.
In the last minute, Saudi Arabia made it count striking a goal that was ruled in their favour and taking home the win.
