Oman target strong start against Iraq

JEDDAH, SEPT 21
Oman will look to maintain their strong presence in the Gulf Cup after reaching the final six times in the last 10 editions. The Red Warriors will compete in Group A at Gulf Cup 27 in Jeddah alongside hosts Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait.
Moroccan coach Tarik Sektioui, who took charge in March, succeeded Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz and became the first Arab coach to lead Oman at the Gulf Cup in 30 years.
Sektioui said: “We know Oman have reached the last two finals, and we want to play strong matches and go as far as possible.”
He added “The tournament will also serve as preparation for the 2027 Asian Cup and the 2030 World Cup qualifiers.”
Sektioui selected a 26-player squad, retaining several experienced players.
The absence of a number of players sparked debate, but the Oman Football Association confirmed that their exclusion was a technical decision by the coach.
Oman have emerged as one of the leading contenders in the tournament in recent years, winning the title twice in 2009 and 2017. They have also finished runners-up four times, including the last two editions in 2023 and 2024.
Oman will open their Gulf Cup 27 campaign against Iraq on Wednesday in Jeddah, with both sides looking to make a strong start in Group A.
Iraq will be seeking a fifth Gulf Cup title after winning the competition four times, in 1979, 1984, 1988 and 2023. They also finished runners-up twice, in 1976 and 2013.
Iraq will enter the tournament looking to bounce back from their group-stage exit in the previous edition.
The Iraqi side will also be without several World Cup players due to injury, including Kamil Saadi, Mohannad Ali, Hussein Ali Haider, Youssef Al Amin and Kevin Yacoub.

Oman and Iraq have met 10 times in the Gulf Cup, with Iraq winning six and the other four matches ending in draws. Oman have yet to beat Iraq in the competition.
Their most recent Gulf Cup meetings came in 2023, when the sides drew 0-0 in the group stage before Iraq won the final 3-2 in Basra.
Overall, Iraq have scored 25 goals against Oman in the Gulf Cup, while Oman have scored seven.
A total of 33 referees from 11 countries will participate in the tournament, with three referees representing each country. The countries are Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Portugal and the Netherlands.
Eight VAR referees from eight countries will also take part in Gulf Cup 27, representing Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the Netherlands, Morocco and China.
Oman will be represented by three referees, led by international referee Qasim al Hatmi, with Nasser al Busaidi and Hamad al Ghafri.
The pre-match press conference for the Oman-Iraq opener will be held on Tuesday at the Media Centre at Hilton Jeddah. The press conference will give media representatives an opportunity to hear from the coaches and players ahead of Wednesday’s Group A encounter.