South Korea’s bid for a berth in men’s football at the London Olympics took a twist on Thursday after a ruling on a group stage match between rival states.
The Asian Football Confederation, the regional governing body of the sport, announced that Oman has been awarded a 3-0 victory over Qatar, overturning its 1-1 draw in a Group A match in the final Olympic qualification round last November.
The AFC said FIFA, the global football association, ruled that Qatar fielded an ineligible player against Oman.
Oman improved from four points to six points after the decision, now just one behind leading South Korea in its group with three games to play.
Only the top seed will earn an automatic berth in London, while the runner-up will enter a playoff with second seeds from other groups.
Seeking its seventh straight Olympic appearance and ninth overall, South Korea will face Saudi Arabia on the road on Sunday.
South Korea has never won an Olympic football medal and has advanced beyond the first round only twice.
