Surprise package Oman registered their second victory at the 18th Gulf Nations Cup by beating Kuwait 2-1 on Saturday to book a place in the tournament semi-finals. Emad Al Housni grabbed the lead for Oman when he capitalized on a defensive mistake to slot home an 8th minute opener. Fahd Al-Rashidi put Kuwait at level in the 81st minute but the celebrations were short lived as Hashem Saleh sealed the winner 3 minutes later. Substitute Saled unleashed a dazzling left-footer that left Kuwait goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Khaldi helpless. The win secured Oman's place in the last four as the last edition's finalists top their Group A with a perfect 6 points from two matches.
UAE Later on Saturday, United Arab Emirates maintained their chances in qualifying to the next round after edging past Yemen with a 2-1 win. Mohamed Omar converted a 2nd minute penalty-kick to put the home side ahead while Bashir Saied headed home UAE's second goal five minutes past the hour. Alaa Abdullah's late goal proved insufficient for the combative Yemenis. UAE are now second in Group A with 3 points while Kuwait and Yemen sharing last place with a single point each. Oman face Yemen while UAE play Kuwait in the final round of Group A action on Tuesday.
