Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup - AFC Qualifiers - Group A - Oman v Qatar - Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar - October 8, 2025 Qatar's Assim Madibo in action with Oman's Nasser Al Rawahi REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari
(Reuters) -Oman kept hosts Qatar at bay to earn a 0-0 draw in the countries' opening clash in Group A of the fourth round of Asia's World Cup preliminaries on Wednesday, denting both nations' hopes of automatic qualification for the 2026 finals.
Qatar captain Akram Afif went closest to claiming the points for Julen Lopetegui's side at Doha's Jassim bin Hamad Stadium when he wastefully steered his shot wide 49 minutes into a tense game of few chances.
The Carlos Queiroz-coached Omanis, who are looking to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, will face the United Arab Emirates on Saturday in the next game in the three-team group, with Qatar taking on the Emiratis on Tuesday.
The winners of the group will qualify directly for the finals next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico while the team finishing second advances to a playoff with the runner-up from Group B, which is being played in Saudi Arabia.
Qatar dominated the opening exchanges but struggled to turn that superiority into opportunities, with only midfielder Boualem Khoukhi threatening the Oman goal with a strike from distance in the 13th minute that flew wide of the target.
The Omanis had been largely kept on the back foot, although Issam Al-Sabhi did fashion an opening in the 27th minute that goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada gathered and Amjad Al-Harthi steered a header over the bar late in the half.
Afif should have put the hosts ahead soon after the interval when the Omanis gifted him possession in their own half, but the Asian Player of the Year uncharacteristically side-footed his shot the wrong side of the post.
Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Jordan and Uzbekistan have already claimed six of Asia's eight guaranteed berths at the expanded 48-team finals, with a possible ninth spot available via an intercontinental playoff in March.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
