Muscat, March 16
Three-time champions Seeb will lock horns with Al Rustaq in the summit clash of the 2021-22 season His Majesty’s Cup football championship on Thursday.
The final will start at 7:00 pm at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher under the auspices of HE Sultan bin Salim al Habsi, Minister of Finance, in presence of His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth and top dignitaries and officials.
The concluding encounter of the coveted cup promises to be an exciting affair as both teams will eye the prestigious title. After an absence of 17 years, Seeb will target their fourth title in this edition.
Abdulaziz al Maqbali and his team-mates will work hard in today night’s game to bring the glory after 24 years from the last title for Seeb in His Majesty’s Cup football championship in 1998.
The battalion of coach Boris Bunjak is upbeat despite their defeat in the last round of Omantel League against Al Nahdha.
The Seeb team announced the injury of Abdulaziz al Ghailani and he will not take part in the final match. Coach Boris will depend on many key players in the team including Abdulaziz al Maqbali, Arshad al Alawi, Mohsin al Ghassani, Eid al Farsi, Marwan Taeeb and others.
On the other hand, Al Rustaq’s players are very keen to not miss the golden opportunity of snatching the first historic title of the HM Cup.
The Southern Al Batinah team started their warm-up sessions ahead of the concluding game at the training centre in Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex under watchful eyes of Romanian coach Catalin Mihai.
There are many top players in Al Rustaq who will be under the focus of coach Mihai during the final match including: Mohammed al Ghafri, Hatim al Roushdi, Yassen al Shiyadi, Junior Tijadi, Abas al Hashami and other players.
The Oman Football Association (OFA) in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth arranged different surprises for the audience who will attend the final match of the coveted cup.
The gates will open at 3:00 pm and many side events will take place including: Paragliding, Magic games, Skateboarding, roaming teams, food court and other activities.
OFA has announced the umpiring team who will officiate the concluding encounter. International referee Ahmed al Kaaf will be the main referee of the match while AbuBaker al Amri and Hamed al Ghafri will assist him.
Mohammed al Othmani is assigned as fourth referee while Naif al Balushi as the first additional referee and Yahya al Balushi as second additional referee.
Full readiness
The head coach of Seeb club, Boris Bunjak, voiced confidently in the press meet and said that it is fourth time for him as a coach to reach into the final. “I am very satisfied with the team and looking forward for another triumph. The HM Cup matches are different than other competitions as every game you play is considered as the final game. I know all the Seeb fans are awaiting for the title since 24 years ago from the last title,” he added.
“Mental preparation and psychological is more important than physical preparations. We have some players who will play first time in the full stadium. On the other side, we have experienced players as well and this is a good advantage. The support from fans can be considered as big pressure and big assistance in the same time. However, we will work to convert it into the support side. The players are aware and have clear minds and will not be impacted with the pressure of the fans,” he ended.
The former national team and Seeb star Eid al Farsi said the match is expected to be tough for both teams. “Our target is to win the encounter. We will enter the match with full focus as it is the main item to end the game on a winning note,” he concluded.
Strong Match
Coach Catalin Mihai, head coach of Al Rustaq club, said that the team arrived to the final after strong math in semis.
“I am sure today’s game will be strong and everyone knows the importance of this match. The team managed to reach the finals but the focus now is how to win the final match. Seeb is favourite due to history and the quality of players they have. However, our players are ready to fight for the fans and their families. We are ready to give everything in the game,” he added.
Responding to the pressure under the team to clinch the first title: “My players are not under pressure. They believe that football is a sport and they play to enjoy. The team managed to secure slot in the final after playing well in semis. The most essential part in the match is to monitor the game,” he ended.
The player of Al Rustaq Ahmed al Ghafri said that all the players are ready for the historic match. “We are ready to show top match and will enjoy the game first and then we aim to register positive result. Seeb is tough opponent and we know all the players very well as we met them in league,” he concluded.
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