Iraq move through with tame draw
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Ahmed Mubarak (back) and Nashat Akram (front) vie for the ball during the Group A Asian Cup match between Iraq and Oman in Bangkok (AFP: Manan Vatsyayana )
Iraq secured a fourth successive Asian Cup quarter-finals appearance and a clash with co-hosts Vietnam after a dire 0-0 draw with Oman in Bangkok on Monday night that was enough to ensure top spot in group A.
Oman needed to win to stand any chance of making the knock-out stages but they proved bereft of inspiration in a lacklustre affair.
Iraq knew that a point was good enough to guarantee their qualification from the group and they showed no ambition whatsoever to attack.
Oman did at least show some desire to get forward but most of their first half chances fell to Ismail Al Ajmi, who was having a night to forget.
His first chance saw him run clear of the Iraqi backline but he lost a race for the ball with goalkeeper Noor Sabri.
Next he got on the end of a deep cross and the ball dropped to his feet on the edge of the six yard box, but he somehow shot against the legs of a stricken defender lying in front of him.
Another cross dropped kindly for him in the penalty area but this time he barely made contact and the chance went begging.
Oman kept pressing after the break but increasingly left themselves exposed at the back, offering Iraq encouragement to come forward.
As the pedestrian match wore on Iraq retreated even further into their shells while Oman completely ran out of attacking ideas and resorted to pumping hopeless long balls forward to their diminutive strikers.
Oman did almost snatch a late winner but Younis Al Mushaifri's header from a corner sailed inches over the bar.
-AFP
