Spirited Tunisia reach semi-finals with win over Oman

Doha Tunisia yesterday overcame a feisty challenge from Oman to become the first side to reach the FIFA Arab Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win at Education City Stadium. Goals from Seifeddine Jaziri (16th minute) and captain Youssef Msakni (69th minute) helped Tunisia wrap up a convincing performance under lights. For Oman, the 2018 Gulf Cup champions, Rashid al-Alawi reduced the deficit in the 66th minute with a spectacular long-range effort that was wildly cheered by fans at the Education City Stadium.With yesterday’s goal, Jaziri now has a tally of four in as many matches at the 16-team tournament. Tunisia coach Monder El Kabir said yesterday: “We thank God for this win. We won because of a compact performance from my players. We have continued to play good football. After we scored the two goals, we also wasted several chances, about seven chances.”The coach added: “We had a quick reaction in the match after we conceded the equaliser. That was a big factor in us winning the match. After that we dominated and controlled ball possession.” “The loss against Syria in the second round of the group stage helped us a lot and we had an excellent reaction in the UAE match. We are happy to achieve our goal by advancing from the quarter-finals stage. We will not focus on the next match.”The two sides took their time to settle down though there was an early stoppage in play when Oman’s Fawaz Abdullah got hit in the face by a powerful shot from Tunisia’s Yassine Meriah in the fifth minute.Eight minutes later, Al Arabi star Msakni sneaked into the Oman box but his shot from close range was blocked by Ahmed al-Kaabi. Three minutes on, Tunisia produced a classy move to open the scoring.Mohamed ben Hmida curled in a near-perfect loopy cross from the flank for Jaziri. The tall Zamalek striker jumped high to meet the cross and headed the ball into the net past keeper Ibrahim al-Mukhaini in the 16th minute.Tunisia, with a goal’s advantage, stitched more attacks with regularity in the first half. In the 19th minute, Mohamed Drager fired a bullet but Oman keeper al-Mukhaini parried the ball above the crossbar.Soon after the half-hour mark, Drager found time and space to find his way into the Oman box and without wasting time, the 25-year-old Nottingham Forest winger clipped the ball towards team mate Naim Sliti who was on the other side of the shooting range. Sliti aimed quickly but his shot sailed above the Oman crossbar. Five minutes from the first-half whistle, Sliti opted for a long-range shot but the ball sailed past the goalpost to the left of keeper al-Mukhaini. A few moments later, Tunisia’s Jaziri – inside the Oman box - found Msakni with an easy flick but the Al Arabi star failed to deflect with accuracy from close range. Three minutes into the second half, Oman’s Salaah al-Yahyaei produced a powerful low shot that was pouched by Tunisia keeper Mouez Hassen. A minute later, Tunisia’s Drager curled in a spectacular long-range shot that went narrowly past the goalpost to the left of keeper al-Mukhaini.Tunisia’s Maskni also got into the act but his shot on an indirect freekick beat the Omani wall but the keeper who collected the low ball. A minute after the hour-mark, al-Jaziri unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box but the ball caught the head of Oman’s Juma al-Habsi. Five minutes later, Oman produced an equaliser in spectacular fashion.Al-Alawi – after picking up a short cross way outside the Tunisia box – unleashed a powerful shot that smashed into the net with keeper Hassen unable to stop the ball despite a dive to his right.Three minutes later, tireless Msakni headed home from close range on a cross from Sliti as Tunisia went 2-1 up in the 69th minute. Maskni and Jaziri both were benched by coach El Kabir.