(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Oman's football team kept its hopes alive to advance from Group C in the Asian Games when it registered its first points after a 3-3 draw with Singapore at the Hwaseong Stadium in Incheon South Korea on Wednesday.
With Palestine's 2-1 win over Tajikistan in the other match on Wednesday confirming the former's entry into the knockout stage (round of 16) Oman will have to vie for the other spot with Singapore when it plays its last league match on Sunday.
Oman which lost to Palestine 0-2 in its opening game appeared to be in control of the match after taking a 3-1 lead in the 28th minute. However coach Hamad al Azzani's side was punished for some suspect defending as Singapore clawed back into the game and shared points with Oman.
Oman took the lead in the 11th minute through Hatem al Hamhami but the joy was short-lived as Singapore equalised a minute later through Sahil Suhaimi. Abdulmajed Shamas put the Oman team ahead in the 25th minute and Eid al Farsi helped the sultanate side gain a two-goal cushion with a strike four minutes later.
Singapore reduced the margin just before the interval through Faris Ramli to go into the break trailing at 2-3. After battling through most of the second half Singapore finally got the equaliser in the 86th minute through defender Safuwan Baharudin's header off a Sahil free-kick. Oman will take on Tajikistan at the Incheon Football Stadium on Sunday while Singapore will next face Palestine on Sunday at the Ansan Wa Stadium in a simultaneous kick-off.
Other results: Men: Group A:
South Korea 1 Saudi Arabia 0 Malaysia 4 Laos 0 Group D: Iraq 3 Japan 1 Kuwait 5 Nepal 0. Women: Group A:
South Korea 10 India 0 Thailand 10 Maldives 0.
Police probe second harassment case
South Korean police is investigating a second harassment case involving a football player or official at the Asian Games. Inspector Ahn Jeong-Hee on Wednesday said police has asked prosecutors to indict a 19 year old Palestinian player for allegedly harassing a woman staff member at the athletes' village. Ahn said the man admitted to touching the 25 year old South Korean woman on Tuesday after proposing that the pair should pose for a photograph. The latest case emerged a day after police started investigating an equipment manager from Iran's national football team who allegedly harassed a woman volunteer at an Asian Games stadium.
Torch arrives in Incheon
The Asian Games torch arrived in host city Incheon on Wednesday two days before the opening ceremony that will formally inaugurate the two-week competition featuring almost 10000 athletes. The torch will be stored overnight in the port city west of South Korea's capital Seoul before being carried on the final stages of its 6000km journey around South Korea set to culminate in Friday night's opening ceremony featuring 'Gangnam Style' singer PSY and Chinese pianist Lang Lang.
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