Oman 1-2 Kyrgyzstan Player Ratings: Issam Al-Sabhi rated 8/10 as Oman turn the tables to defeat Kyrgyzstan in a second half thriller

The Oman National Football team faced off against the Kyrgyzstan National Football team in the second round clash of the Group A fixtures of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025. The Oman vs Kyrgyzstan match took us to the Stadion Majmuasi in Uzbekistan, and the encounter took place on the 2nd September 2025.

The clash began relatively on a boring note, with both teams aiming to keep possession in the midfield and initiating some rare attacks. Oman, the higher-ranked team among the two, was surprisingly kept silent by the 97th-ranked Kyrgyz team. The Oman national football team kept the ball with them and maintained around 60% possession in the first half. However, the Kyrgyzstan national team was a bit more physical and approached the game in a much different manner. They pressed, forced errors, and attacked in regular intervals. They were also seen having better chemistry among themselves and were much better in set pieces. One such set-piece in the 23rd minute, taken by Atabaev, went to Alykulov, who went on to assist Kozubaev to break the deadlock. From then, the Kyrgyz side became all awake and desperately defended to keep the opponents scoreless throughout the first half. In the second half, Kyrgyz scored twice more with the services of Atabaev and Kojo but unfortunately, they were ruled off. In the dying minutes of the game, following a series of desperate attacks, Oman scored twice with the fresh legs of Issam Al-to put the game to bed and seal the victory.

Here are the Oman vs Kyrgyzstan Player Ratings

Oman Player Ratings

Here are the Oman Player Ratings

Goalkeeper

Saleh Al-Mukhaini - 5/10

The keeper couldn't have done anything to save the first goal scored by the opponents. Later, he made some routine saves and clearances and did decently. In a surprising turn of events, the keeper was subbed off after the break.

Defenders

Thani Al-Rushaidi - 5/10

Rushaidi was decent and managed to keep Kojo relatively silent throughout the first half. Displayed intent to defend even though his side was trailing.

Ghanim Al-Habashi - 4/10

Habashi was frustrated throughout the match because the Kyrgyz side was dominating the match and was making constant attacks at his goal. Made a few rash fouls and was even warned by the referee with a yellow card. Did not have proper communication and had problems in positioning.

Ali Al-Bushaidi - 4/10

Displayed an average performance in the match. Could have had better communication with the keeper and the fellow teammates in the backline. Left spaces which were properly punished by the opponents.

Mahmood Mushaifri - 4/10

Was booked by the referee quite early for a rash foul. Since then, he player was seen making some risky moves which could have led to a potential red card, and for this reason, he was subbed off.

Midfielders

Abdullah Fawaz - 5/10

Took some shots from outside the box and challenged the keeper. Was lazy in the midfield and did not clear away the ball properly in the 79th minute, and this was punished by Kojo, who almost doubled the lead for the Kyrgyz side. In the stoppage time of the second half, he assisted the opening goal with a good corner.

Ahed Al-Mashaiki - 5/10

Took some set-pieces, but to the player's disappointment, none of them could really challenge the opponent's backline. Was creative and took some shots from distance, but most of the shots were either overhit or underhit. Assisted in the last minutes of the game which turned out pivotal to secure the draw.

Nasser Al Rawahi - 5/10

Rawahi, with his pace and poetry-like moves, dribbled past multiple Kyrgyz national players with ease. However, after the dribbles, he lacked ball control and lost the ball to the backline. Was decent and was able to create some trouble for the opponents.

Musab Al-Mamari - 4/10

Did not have any major impact whatsoever and was seen losing balls a couple of times to add up the frustration of the already frustrated Omani side. Could have done better in multiple aspects.

Al-Yahmadi - 5/10

Yahmadi rotated positions between the left flank and the right flank and made some speedy moves coupled with some decent-looking crosses inside the 18-yard box. However, this mobility did not bring any value addition to the team and was benched after the 45-minute mark.

Forward

Mohammed Al-Ghafri - 4/10

Ghafri pressed the opponents in the backline really well. However, the player was unable to produce output in the attack that positively correlated to his effort. Had probably one of the worst performances of his career, with almost no significant contribution towards attack.

Substitutes

Ahmed Al-Khamisi - 5/10

Fayeez Al Rushaidi - 5/10

Muheen Al Ghassani - 5/10

Salah Al-Yahyaei - 6/10

The substitute, with his fresh legs, created some trouble for the opponents with some accelerated moves from the wings towards the penalty box from the right.

Issam Al-Sabhi - 8/10

Scored the goal for the Omani side in the 91st minute to provide them a glimmer of hope. In the dying minutes of the game, he yet again scored to put the game to bed and secure the victory for his side.

Zaher Al-Aghbari - 5/10

Manager

Carlos Queiroz - 6/10

The manager would never be happy with the performance of his team as his team struggled till the 90-minute mark. It was only in the stoppage time of the match that his side was able to counter with two goals. Keeping the scoreline aside, the team had a pathetic performance against a much lower-ranked side.

Kyrgyzstan Player Ratings

Here are the Kyrgyzstan Player Ratings

Goalkeeper

Erzhan Tokotaev - 6/10

The keeper had pretty much nothing to do in the first half since his defensive unit was top-notch. In the second half, he made a solid save in an almost 1v1 situation to keep his side on the advantage. However, defensive errors in the dying minutes meant that his team had to be on the losing side.

Defenders

Kairat Zhyrgalbek - 6/10

Had a day with a mixed bag of performance. In some instances, he perfectly resisted Rawahi from moving forward with the ball, but in moments, he was seen allowing the opponent to get past him cheaply. However, the player had the grit and was able to track back and regain possession whenever the ball dribbled past him.

Valeriy Kichin - 7/10

Kyrgyz captain, Kichin, was seen communicating and coordinating very well with the keeper, and they collectively managed to keep away the aerial challenges that came into the penalty box throughout the match. Did well during the set-pieces and had a solid day in the backline. However, in the last minutes, he was unable to keep the opponents away from scoring.

Zarypbekov - 6/10

The defender did his duties quite efficiently throughout the minutes played. Was subbed off quite early in the second half.

Tamirlan Kozubaev - 7/10

The defender was at the right place at the right time and easily tapped in the ball to the back of the net in the 23rd minute to find the opener for his side. Defensively, the player was sharp in his duties and was able to leave a mark both in the defence and attack.

Midfielders

Ermek Kenzhebaev - 5.5/10

Had a topsy-turvy day. Did well in resisting the opponents from getting past him towards his half. However, when Atabev scored an impressive Olympic goal, a foul from his side meant that the goal was ruled out.

Erbol Atabaev - 7/10

The 24-year-old constantly challenged the opponents with the set pieces, and one such set piece in the 23rd minute paved the way for the first goal. Scored a beautiful Olympic goal in the 68th minute, but it was ruled out as Kenzhebaev fouled the keeper.

Aleksandr Mishchenko - 7/10

Made some heavy tackles and interceptions and dominated with his physicality to regain possession in the defensive third and the middle third. Dispossessed the opponents, regained possession and initiated the attack and had a remarkable contribution for his side.

Abdurakhmanov - 7/10

Abdurakhmanov was a towering figure in the midfield and was very physically involved in the game. Tracked back and came to help his defenders when the opponents tested the backline from the wings.

Forward

Joel Kojo - 5/10

Kojo did not have a solid first half as he had expected. However, in the second half, the centre-forward pounced upon an error in the midfield, and beat the defenders physically to make a solo run and breach the opponent's net. However, this was called off by the referee.

Gulzhigit Alykulov - 5/10

Had the presence of mind and cleverly provided the carpet pass to the second post to lay the foundation for the Kyrgyz opener. Later, his involvement was quite minimal.

Substitutes

Ulanbek Sulaymanov - 5/10

Kimi Merk - 5/10

Esenbek Uson Uulu - N/A

Azarov- N/A

Dzhumashev - N/A

Manager

Maksim Lisitsyn - 6/10

The gaffer deserves appreciation as his team was able to silence a top ranked team for the entire ninety minutes. In the final minutes, when his team lacked fitness, only then his team conceded two goals. Could have been better in substitutions.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match is Issam Al-Sabhi