MUSCAT: The confident Oman will be eyeing for their second successive win when they will take Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday in Group D of the Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2 for the Fifa World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027.
The match will start at 6:00 pm (Oman time) at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek. Branko Ivankovic’s side commenced their campaign with a thrilling 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei on Thursday and the opening triumph gave them the early lead in the group following.
Red Warriors are all set for the match, as the players underwent contentious training sessions since their arrival on Friday morning. The final warm up took place on Monday where the head coach and his assisting team worked in different technical and tactical areas that will ensure fitness of the team for the encounter.
Oman team seeking a return to the third round of the qualifiers after having done so for the first time in the previous edition, will be determined to not slip up in Bishkek.
Tough match
Branko voiced confidently that the team have the ambition to go further in this joint qualifier. “We have prepared technically very well for this crucial game. The players are aware on the match difficulty as the opponent will play in home with fans support. Our stars are fit and in full readiness for this vital clash,” he said
“ I observed the Kyrgyzstan match against Malaysia. They showed top match and they are considered as one of the developed teams in Asia. They produced a disciplined and well organised show in the previous match. We have met them before in friendly tournament in last June. On the other hand, our target is to secure another victory despite against who we are playing. I informed the players since the opening match, it is important to respect the opponent. Our goal is to register the second straight win and capture the full marks from both games and then we will open new chapter for the 2024 AFC Asian Cup Championship,” he added
Commenting on Chinese Taipei match, the head coach responded that it was tough game. “ We were forced in the opener to capture the first three points. The team managed to earn a crucial triumph in home game,” he ended
Ready for win
Fayez al Rushedi, Oman’s goalkeeper, said that the match against Kyrgyzstan will not be an easy fixture. “ The opponent is very developed team and therefore it is expected to be a tough match. However, as players we are fit for the match and to deliver our utmost technical efforts,” he said
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