(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Oman missed a golden opportunity of advancing to the AFC U23 Championship's tournament proper when it bungled with as many as two penalties against Iraq to settle for a 2-2 draw in their Group A concluding qualifier at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Tuesday.
Iraq took a 2-0 lead before Oman struck back with two goals but the visitors capitalised on a floundering Oman attack to eke out a point and finish atop the group with ten points. Iraq progressed straightaway to the finals while Oman - finishing second with eight points - will have to rely on the results of fellow runner-up sides from the nine other qualifying groups.
The ten group toppers advance to the tournament proper directly along with the five top runner-up teams.
Iraq opened the scoring in the fourth minute before Mahdi Shiltagh made it 2-0 shortly after the interval.
Saud al Farsi reduced the margin for the home team when he scored from the spot in the 68th minute having missed a penalty-kick a minute earlier.
Farsi then missed another penalty in the 78th minute before Anwar al Hinai netted the equaliser in the 89th minute.
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