Oman will take on hosts Saudi Arabia on Saturday while Qatar will meet Syria in the semifinals of West Asian Under-23 Championship which is underway in Saudi Arabia until November 15.
Despite the loss against Qatar 1-0, Oman Olympic football team secured slot in the semifinals as they beat Lebanon in the opening match 4-2 in Group A. After the win, Qatar topped the group with four points while Oman came in second with three points. Lebanon were placed last with one point only.
In the other group, hosts Saudi Arabia managed to defeat Bahrain 2-0 in the third round match. The Saudi team suffered a 2-1 loss against Syria in the opener. Due to the difference in the goals, the hosts came top of Group B with three points while Syria were second with the same points. Bahrain’s 2-1 win against Syria was not enough to qualify as they finished in third place.
Coach Akram Habreesh’s men were back to the training field on Thursday to gear up for the semifinal encounter. The players went under a recovery training session to release the stress after the group matches.
During the session, the coaching staff focused on the weakness areas which occurred during the previous games. Also, the head coach instructed the players on the attacking side and how to snatch goals from scoring attempts. The national Olympic team players will target to reach the final by overcoming Saudi Arabia in the semifinal fixture. Habreesh affirmed that Oman are taking part in this prestigious Asian event with a target of clinching the title. This tournament act is a good opportunity for the players to have a right harmony among them ahead of the future assignment including the Asian qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
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