Yemen 0 Iraq 3: Mohanad Ali stunner helps seal last 16 place | OneFootball

Iraq cruised into the last 16 of the Asian Cup with a routine 3-0 victory over Yemen.

Srecko Katanec's men joined neighbours Iran, who eased to a 2-0 win against Vietnam earlier on Saturday, in progressing from Group D.

Mohanad Ali opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a fine individual goal, while an extremely fortuitous second from Bashar Resan eight minutes later doubled Iraq's advantage.

Yemen, thrashed 5-0 by Iran last time out, never threatened a response thereafter and face Vietnam in their group finale with progression as one of the best third-placed teams still a possibility for the moment. Iraq meet Iran to determine who will top the group.

The game's opening goal came when Mohanad Ali brilliantly worked his way through the Yemen defence with a sublime run, the forward cutting on to his right foot and firing a superb finish through the legs of a defender and beyond Saoud Al-Sowadi.

Yemen went close to levelling when Abdulwasea Al-Matari looped a header narrowly over the crossbar from a free-kick.

But, after falling behind to a fantastic opener, their hopes were further dented by a bizarre second as Resan's long-range effort took a huge deflection off Mudir Abdurabu, completely fooling Al-Sowadi and going in off the post.

The frame of the goal worked in Yemen's favour in the second half as Mohanad Ali hit the left-hand post, but that reprieve never looked like inspiring a turnaround.

And Iraq added late gloss to a one-sided affair as Yemen failed to deal with a cross from the right and Alaa Abbas powered home a stoppage-time third.