The draw decided the team qualified for the semi-finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup "Gulf 27", as it resulted in Oman qualifying at the expense of its Iraqi counterpart, after a complete tie between the two teams in all tie-breaking criteria.
The draw was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Jeddah, after it was impossible to separate the two teams by the approved criteria, as they were equal in points, goal difference, number of goals scored and conceded, in addition to the fair play criterion.
Oman had finished its group stage campaign with 4 points, after defeating Kuwait 3-1, while Iraq suffered a 2-0 defeat against Saudi Arabia, making the two teams equal in all criteria qualifying them for the semi-finals.
A yellow card received by Musab Al-Shaqsi played a decisive role in reaching this complex stage, after he scored Oman's third goal against Kuwait, before celebrating by taking off his shirt, prompting the referee to show him a yellow card.
Oman had an advantage over Iraq in the fair play criterion before Al-Shaqsi received the warning, but the card he received after celebrating the goal canceled that advantage, and led to the two teams being equal in this criterion as well.
Thus, the organizing committee had no choice but to resort to a draw to separate the two teams, which ultimately smiled upon the Omani team, granting them passage to the semi-finals of "Gulf 27".