MUSCAT: The Oman beach soccer team will take part in the fifth edition of the Arab beach soccer championship 2023 which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia in Jeddah city during May 1 to 20.
The Arab beach soccer event is back to action after an absence of seven years from the last tournament in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt in 2016. United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the last edition champions when they beat Morocco 3-2 in final. Oman finished fourth.
Hosts Egypt were the champions in the third edition also at Sharm El Sheikh in 2014, defeating Lebanon 6-5 in the final.
This external participation will be a crucial step for Oman team's preparation for the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2023 which will be hosted by Dubai during November 16 to 26. Oman are ranked 14th internationally in the latest Fifa world ranking and will be looking to claim maximum technical output from this significant event.
Oman team recently concluded their participation in the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup in Bali city, Indonesia, in the third place. The team, coached by the long-serving national coach Talib Hilal, will play in the Arab event alongside with Egypt, Morocco, UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Mauritania, Sudan, Libya, Comoro Islands and the hosts Saudi Arabia. The draw of the championship will take place after Eid break and it is scheduled on April 16 in Jeddah city. The 12 teams will be distributed into three groups.
The first edition of the Arab beach soccer championship was in Egypt's Marsa Alam in 2008. Libya beat UAE 5-3 to emerge champions. In 2010, it was in Damam, Saudi Arabia and the hosts beat UAE 6-3 after extra-time to win the title.
It is expected that Oman team will return back to the action after Eid break with series of internal and external camps. The preparatory program will be released soon with the list of friendly games ahead of the forthcoming assignments including the top participation at the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2023 and the Arabian beach soccer Championship.
Oman’s next attendance in the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup will be the fifth attendance as the first presence was in Ravenna city in Italy in 2011 and then in Portugal in 2015. The third participation of the team was at the Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay in December 2019 while the fourth attendance was in August 2021 in Russia. During all the previous editions, the team was under supervision of the long-serving national coach, Talib Hilal.
Oman Squad: Khaid al Oraimi, Mashal al Oraimi, Younis al Oaisi, Abdullah al Souti Amjad al Hamdani, Sami al Balushi, Mundher al Oraimi, Shareef al Balushi, Sami al Balushi, Ahmed al Oaisi, Hamed al Oraimi, Yahya al Murikhi, Salim al Oraimi, AbdulRahman al Fazari and al Yaqdhan al Hindasi.
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