Al Jaish hold Fenja

Muscat: Fanja missed a chance to move up to second place in Group B of the AFC Cup after the Omani club played out a 0-0 draw with Syrian champions Al Jaish on Wednesday.

Fanja enjoyed the majority of possession but the nearest that either side came to breaking the deadlock at Seeb Sports Club was a second-half effort by Mohamed Sharefa for the visitors that hit the base of the upright.

The draw saw Fanja move up to six points and they were joined on that total by Nejmeh after the Lebanese club drew 1-1 with Kuwait SC in Wednesday’s other Group B game. However Fanja trail in third place due to Nejmeh’s better record in their head-to-head games.

“We put in a good performance tonight but unfortunately we were unlucky not to score and get a victory,” said Fanja coach Mohsin Al Kharusi.

“We still have a chance as we now have six points and our next match against Kuwait SC will be vital for us if we want to qualify.

“We fielded some new players today and we had many scoring chances but the players were unlucky. Our goalkeeper also gave a good performance today as he helped us to get a result for us by keeping a clean sheet.”

While Fanja remain in the hunt for a spot in the last 16, Al Jaish’s hopes of progression were all but ended as they remained last in the group with three points.

“The first half was not as we planned and despite the fact that we were looking to get the three points, we were realistic and we didn’t play with an attacking performance,” said Al Jaish coach AnasMakhlouf.

“In the second half things changed and we improved but the players failed to convert our chances.

“Despite the draw, the team had a good performance and I’m satisfied with the display of the players. We must give our best in the last match as we will be looking to finish our campaign with a good victory and a win could put us through.”

M.Daoud