Football
Bizarre situation in Gulf Cup: Oman and Iraq tied in pool, draw determines who advances to semifinals
Oman advanced to the Gulf Cup semifinals over Iraq after winning a lottery tie-breaker, as both teams finished level on points, goal difference, and fair play statistics in Pool A. The decision followed Saudi Arabia's victory over Iraq and Oman's win against Kuwait, which resulted in identical records for the two contenders. Iraqi coach Graham Arnold criticized the method, arguing that FIFA world ranking rules should have applied instead, but the organization proceeded with the draw held in Jeddah. Oman will now face either Qatar or the United Arab Emirates in the next round, while Iraq's tournament ended abruptly due to the unusual tie-breaking procedure.
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