Iraq’s U23 national team thrashed Pakistan’s U23 side — who were reduced to 10 men — with a devastating scoreline of 8–1 in the opening Group G match of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 qualifiers on Tuesday. The encounter between hosts Cambodia and Oman was disrupted by heavy rain, leaving both sides unable to score.
Cambodia U23 head coach Koji Gyotoku explained that his players had little choice but to repeatedly launch long balls into Oman’s half or kick the ball out to break up their opponent’s momentum, because the soaked and waterlogged pitch made technical football impossible.
However, despite the difficult conditions, the Japanese coach believed Cambodia deserved victory, as his team created several clear chances, even though the squad failed to convert them into goals and secure the three points.
The biggest frustrations for Cambodian fans were Chan Vibol David’s shot in the 11th minute — straight into the Oman goalkeeper’s hands — and Voeun Va’s miss in the 88th, when he was in an excellent position to shoot but instead passed to a teammate, allowing Oman’s defenders to clear and waste the golden chance.
“Because of the rain, we had no choice but to play this way, as the fans could see,” Koji told a post-match press conference.
“I saw our players did well and created many chances, and I think we should have won this match. But in the end, it was only a draw,” added the Japanese coach.
The downpour at the National Olympic Stadium meant neither Cambodia nor Oman could play short passes, long passes, crosses or the quick combinations usually seen in modern football. Instead, both teams resorted to long clearances and kicking the ball out to disrupt their opponents’ play.
Oman head coach Badar Mubarak Al-Maymani expressed strong frustration at the referee’s decision to continue the match under such poor conditions, which he said severely affected his team’s style of play.
“I’m happy to be here (in Cambodia) and with what happened today, but the pitch conditions with standing water and rain made it impossible to play the way we wanted — it really affected our style,” he told the media.
“We assessed our team for this match to see what we could and couldn’t do. But even after the adjustments, nothing worked, because the ball would not move properly on the pitch. We had no choice but to play like that. This is a situation I’ve never experienced before,” he added.
Earlier the same night, the Iraq U23 side destroyed Pakistan 8–1. The heavy defeat came after Pakistan defender Mohib Ullah was sent off in the 29th minute, having conceded a penalty that Amoori Faisal converted to put Iraq 1–0 ahead in the first half.
Early in the second half, Iraq doubled their lead in the 47th minute, before Pakistan pulled one back from a penalty of their own. But Iraq then piled on the pressure, scoring six more goals to seal a dominant 8–1 victory, with striker Ali Jasim Al-Tameemi netting a hat-trick.
This result put Iraq U23 top of Group G on 3 points, followed by Cambodia and Oman on 1 point each, while Pakistan sit bottom without a point. All four teams still have two matches left to play.
