MUSCAT: Oman U-23 team will vie for an automatic ticket to the final as they will face Iraq, Pakistan and the hosts Cambodia in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers which will table place during September 1-9, 2025. The 44 Asian teams were distributed into eleven groups for the qualifiers and the toppers of each group and four best best-ranked runners-up will join the hosts Saudi Arabia, in the final finals which will take place earlier in 2026.
The Asian event draw which took place in the headquarter of AFC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, saw the hosts Jordan team in group A beside Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei and Bhutan. Japan, two-time champions, will take on Kuwait, Afghanistan and the hosts in Group B. Vietnam will host group C competitions and they will face Yemen, Singapore and Bangladesh. Australia will lead the Group D cast beside the hosts China PR, Timor-Leste and Northern Mariana Islands.
Group E comprised from Uzbekistan 2018 winners, Palestine and Kyrgyzstan as the hosts. Sri Lanka clubbed with the hosts Thailand, Malaysia, Lebanon and Mongolia in Group F. Qatar will host group H matches and it will feature Bahrain, India and Brunei Darussalam teams UAE team will eye for an automatic spot to the finals as they try to utilise the hosts advantage of group I matches and they will play against Iran, Hong Kong and Guam. Group J will see 2020 champions South Korea, Indonesia as hosts, Laos and Macau while Group K comprised from Tajikistan (hosts), Syria, Philippines and Nepal teams.
Oman Olympic U-23 team, coached by Badar al Maimani, are underway in their domestic camp in Muscat. The team played friendly match against Royal Court Affairs team on Wednesday night and ended for the latter by 2-1. The following warm up fixture for the Olympic team will be against Royal Navy Oman team on Thursday before heading off to Moscow on 1st June for the external camp.
Oman team will meet Russia Olympic team in Moscow twice as part of the external preparatory camp which will take place in June. Oman team will eye to claim maximum technical output from the abroad camp in Moscow which will feature two friendly matches against Russia Olympic team and one more match against local Russian team. This camp in Russia will act as a key preparation stage for the team’s preparations for the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers which will begin in coming September.
DRAW RESULT:
Group A: Jordan (H), Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Bhutan
Group B: Japan, Kuwait, Myanmar (H), Afghanistan
Group C: Vietnam (H), Yemen, Singapore, Bangladesh
Group D: Australia, China PR (H), Timor-Leste, Northern Mariana Islands
Group E: Uzbekistan, Palestine, Kyrgyz Republic (H), Sri Lanka
Group F: Thailand (H), Malaysia, Lebanon, Mongolia
Group G: Iraq, Cambodia (H), Oman, Pakistan
Group H: Qatar (H), Bahrain, India, Brunei Darussalam
Group I: UAE (H), IR Iran, Hong Kong, China, Guam
Group J: Korea Republic, Indonesia (H), Laos, Macau
Group K: Tajikistan (H), Syria, Philippines, Nepal
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