Muscat, Oct 30
The draw ceremony for the 'Soca Oman 2024' six-a-side World Cup football took place on Tuesday at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre. This tournament, hosted for the first time in the Middle East, will be held in the Sultanate of Oman from November 28 to December 8, featuring the participation of 40 national teams from around the world.
The draw ceremony was held under the auspices of Sayyid Shihab bin Harib al Said, in the presence of Thanos Papadopoulos, President of the International Socca Federation, along with several prominent local and international sports figures.
At the beginning of the event, Waleed al Obaidani, President of the Middle East Socca Federation, delivered a speech expressing his pride in the culmination of a decade-long effort to host this international tournament. He explained that the championship offers amateur players from around the world a unique opportunity to showcase their skills and potentially reach national teams.
Al Obaidani emphasised that hosting the World Cup demonstrates how young people can achieve great accomplishments for their country when given the right opportunities and trust in their abilities. He noted that the idea for the tournament was launched more than 10 years ago under the slogan 'From Oman’s Neighbourhoods to the World', aiming to prove that players from small towns and villages can become stars if given the chance to represent their countries on the international stage.
He also mentioned that Oman's national team is continuing its preparations for the championship after participating in the previous edition of the World Cup in Mexico. The team has also been active in the Soca Oman Caravan, an initiative aimed at supporting and motivating local talents to excel in international competitions.
Thanos Papadopoulos, CEO of the International Socca Federation, shared his excitement, saying: "I’m delighted to return just months after announcing Socca’s arrival in the Middle East. Oman is not only one of the most beautiful countries I’ve visited, but the progress made since then has been remarkable.
"In a few weeks, Muscat will become the centre of global sports, with 70 TV channels broadcasting the World Cup. For the first time, national teams from five continents including Australia, making its debut—will compete in the World Cup. These milestones signal that this event will mark a new era for the sport."
"I extend my deep gratitude to our sponsors, many of the region’s leading brands, and to the Omani government for their exceptional support from day one. I also commend the local organising committee and Sport Makers, whose outstanding preparations have exceeded our expectations. This event will raise the bar for the sport and leave a lasting legacy.”
The draw placed Oman in Group A, alongside USA, Italy, Canada, and Qatar. The remaining groups are as follows: Group B includes Germany, Bulgaria, Georgia, Libya, and Serbia; Group C features Greece, Belgium, Cyprus, Kuwait and Iraq; Group D consists of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Colombia and Iran; Group E brings together Poland, France, Turkey, Pakistan and Haiti; Group F includes Mexico, Latvia, Albania, Peru and Australia; Group G comprises Kazakhstan, England, Romania, Uruguay and Sudan; and Group H features Croatia, Hungary, Argentina, Tunisia and South Africa.
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