MUSCAT: The Oman Football Association (OFA) announced on Tuesday the official signing with Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz as the new head coach of the Oman national senior football team to replace former coach Rasheed Jaber. The signing ceremony took place at the Conference Hall of the OFA’s Technical Department and the newly built national teams’ residence complex in Seeb Stadium.
The agreement, which spans one year, was signed by Sayyid Sulaiman bin Hamood al Busaidy, Chairman of OFA, and Carlos Queiroz. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in Oman’s footballing journey as the team are gearing up for the decisive phase of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to the Fifa World Cup 2026 which will take place in coming October beside other forthcoming official tournaments.
The experienced Queiroz, has strong resume in training field, will bring his experience to the Sultanate of Oman as he has managed several national teams on the global stage including Portugal, Iran, Egypt and Colombia. His tactical acumen and leadership are seen as crucial assets to help and support Oman team who are seeking to qualify for the Fifa World Cup for the first time in history.
Both OFA and Coach Queiroz expressed strong commitment to achieving high technical standards and competitive results in the upcoming stage of the qualifiers. The OFA affirmed that the appointment aligns with the long-term vision to elevate the performance and international standing of the Red Warriors. As part of the roadmap moving forward, the OFA announced that a press conference will take place on August 5 where coach Carlos Queiroz will unveil to media all the relevant details about his technical vision, the upcoming preparation programme, and the overall work plan for the national team.
Oman will face the hosts Qatar and UAE teams in Group A in the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 Playoffs. The matches to be played in a single round-robin format scheduled for October 8 to 14 in Doha. The hosts of Group B Saudi Arabia will play against Iraq and Indonesia. Oman will meet Qatar in the opener on October 8 and then they will face UAE on October 11. All the matches will be held at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium at Al Sadd Club. In group B, Saudi Arabia will meet Indonesia in the opening match on October 8 while Iraq to meet Indonesia on October 11. Saudi Arabia and Iraq will have a tough clash on October 14. All the matches will take place at King Abdullah Sport City stadium in Jeddah.
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