The draw makes Tuesday’s fixture against the UAE a must win for Julen Lopetegui’s side, also contingent on Saturday’s results.
Qatar’s hopes of starting the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers on a high were dashed by a gritty Omani side, who managed to sneak a point at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Wednesday.
Julen Lopetegui’s side failed to convert chances in a game that saw Al Annabi dominate possession for long without creating much and ultimately settle for a goalless draw.
The draw now puts Oman and Qatar level in the Group A table with a point each. Qatar will have to win on Tuesday against the UAE and rely on the outcome of Saturday’s game between the Omanis and the Emiratis to defy what historically has been a difficult stage to overcome for the FIFA World Cup 2022 hosts.
Lopetegui had claimed before the game that his side had to defy Qatar’s longstanding tainted history in the World Cup qualifiers as well as the noise around his decision to maintain secrecy in squad selection.
But it is difficult to ignore both, considering Oman had handed Qatar a 2-1 defeat at the Arabian Gulf Cup in December last year and on the opposition touchline was former boss Carlos Queiroz, who had made pointed comments on the eve of the game.
“In my opinion, if I was still the head coach […], Qatar would have already qualified for the World Cup,” Queiroz said.
But when Lopetegui’s long-awaited squad, largely kept behind closed doors, was announced on Wednesday, the surprises only grew.
The Spaniard handed out two debuts in Qatar’s rearguard, entrusting 20-year-old Al Gharafa defender Ayoub Aloui and 25-year-old Al Rayyan goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada between the posts.
As the national team set out to what Lopetegui has repeatedly hailed as a historic pursuit, a tifo on the background unfurled with a FIFA World Cup 2026 logo: “Let’s go Qatar”.
Yet, the fans’ performance was the best that Qatar could manage in the first half as their immediate shortcomings were on display yet again. In a rather cagey half, Qatar failed to create much, despite Afif getting back on the left side of the Omani defence quite frequently.
Except for Boualem Khoukhi’s long-range effort, which went wide of the near post, Qatar could not manage a shot on target. It took Oman 27 minutes to register a shot too, but it did little to trouble the debutant Abunada, stellar except for a fourth-minute scare due to Issam Al-Sabhi’s pressure.
The beginning of the second half turned out to be the most creative period for Al Annabi. Afif set off for a run, picking on Assim Madibo’s interception in midfield, yet the chance went begging as the talismanic forward failed to hit the target at the near post. It then returned to the normal state of affairs as both sides failed to create much.
As Pedro Miguel met Akram Afif’s free-kick at the near post with less than 15 minutes to go, fans briefly rose up to celebrate, only to find out that the defender had failed to hit the target.
It all came down to a late scramble for Lopetegui again, who had insisted on getting the head start with a win. Afif was replaced by towering veteran forward Mohammed Muntari, whose overhead attempt just seconds after coming on made up for a simple catching practice.
Chances fell for both Muntari and Almoez Ali in the added time, yet both failed to trouble the scorers. The Qataris’ eyes will now be on Saturday’s Oman-UAE clash, the result of which will matter, in addition to the UAE clash next week.
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