We need to avoid mistakes against Iran: Lopez Caro

Date

3/29/2016 7:21:54 AM

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily)

2018 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

Oman's football team coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro will hope that his new-look team raises its game against table-topper Iran when the two teams clash at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran in their concluding match of Group D 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 Asian Cup joint qualifiers on Tuesday.

The match kicks off at 6.30pm Oman time.

Juan Ramon Lopez Caro

Spain's Lopez Caro had led Oman to a narrow 1-0 win over minnows Guam in Muscat last Thursday and later admitted that the team had a lot of improvement to do for the Iran game. With a superior goal-difference of 15 Iran is set to finish on top even if it loses its three-point lead with an improbable defeat to Oman.

With the second spot sewn up the Red Warriors are currently seventh in the rankings of the runners-up. But with only three points separating second from eighth Oman could make a final day surge to accrue as many points as possible through an upset win over hosts Iran.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Tehran on Monday Lopez Caro said

'Tomorrow's match is crucial and I hope each player performs the tasks given to him. The emphasis is to avoid making mistakes as we are up against a strong team like Iran.'

Despite Iran's unassailable advantage its coach Carlos Queiroz said 'We are still at the top of the group and we want to advance to the next stage as the first team. We remain focused against Oman.'

Oman had held Iran to a 1-1 draw in its home game in Muscat on October 8 2015

The other Group D game sees Turkmenistan (ten points) visit India (three) in Kochi with both sides guaranteed to finish third and fifth respectively. Guam concluded its campaign at fourth place with seven points.

Seven tickets await on decisive Tuesday

It has taken nine months and some 150 matches featuring 39 nations as 2018 World Cup qualifying in Asia is finally on the cusp of concluding its second stage. The continent will see its Russia 2018 campaign whittled down to 12 teams on Tuesday. From the dozen four sides will progress to Russia while a fifth will enter an inter-continental playoff against a CONMEBOL rival.

Five teams are already through to September's third stage - Saudi Arabia (Group A) Qatar (Group C) Japan (Group E) Thailand (Group F) and South Korea (Group G) - leaving seven spots to be filled.

The top teams in each of the eight groups will progress alongside the four best second-placed teams.

Tuesday fixtures: Group A: Saudi Arabia vs Malaysia UAE vs Palestine; Group B: Australia vs Jordan Tajikistan vs Kyrgyzstan; Group C: China vs Qatar Maldives vs Bhutan; Group D: Iran vs Oman India vs Turkmenistan; Group E: Japan vs Syria Afghanistan vs Singapore; Group F: Iraq vs Vietnam; Group G: Lebanon vs Myanmar; Group H: Philippines vs North Korea Uzbekistan vs Bahrain.

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