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 (AFC), the regional governing body of the sport, announced that Oman has been awarded a 3-0 victory over Qatar, overturning their 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 the leading Korea in their 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.
The AFC said Qatar played midfielder Abdelaziz Hatim, who had received a yellow in each of his two previous games and thus should have been suspended against Oman.
Qatar, now with only two points in third place, has been fined 7,000 Swiss Francs ($7,600), according to the AFC.
Seeking its seventh straight Olympic appearance and ninth overall, Korea will face Saudi Arabia on the road on Sunday. Korea has never won an Olympic football medal and has advanced beyond the first round only twice.(Yonhap)