Iraq, Oman and Iran march to semifinals of WAFF U-23 Championship

The lineup for the semifinals of the 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship is complete after Iraq, Oman and Iran won their respective groups and Jordan joined them as the best second-placed team of the round.

The semifinals of the three-group, nine-team tournament — organized by the West Asia Football Federation — will be played on Sunday with Iraq facing Oman and Jordan taking on Iran.

In Group A, hosts Iraq cruised to a 3-0 win over the UAE to finish top of the standings with four points, ahead of runners-up Jordan only on goal difference.

Group B saw a dramatic end as Palestine led Iran 1-0 deep into stoppage, a scoreline that would have ensured progress to the last four with a maximum of six points from two matches. However, Iran equalized in the 97th minute to break Palestinian hearts and finish top of the group instead.

Despite still claiming four points and second place, the Palestinians missed out on a semifinal spot as Jordan — who also finished with +1 goal difference — had scored more goals in Group A.

Meanwhile in group C, Yemen defeated Lebanon 2-1 in what turned out to be a dead rubber as both teams were eliminated. Oman had already guaranteed top spot with six points from their two matches.