MUSCAT, Aug 25
The Oman Under-23 Olympic football team continued its preparation for the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers with a close 1-1 draw against Kuwait in a friendly match at Wend Mellis Club, Bangkok.
The behind-closed-door encounter was arranged and agreed between both head coaches, Badar al Maimani and his Kuwaiti counterpart Dario Basic, to maintain focus and privacy ahead of the upcoming qualifiers matches. The warm-up match was part of both team’s preparations for the forthcoming continental assignment.
Next on the schedule, Oman will conclude their overseas camp in Thailand with a final warm-up match against Thap Luang United – a local third-tier team – on Wednesday. This match is intended to fine-tune the starting line-up before the critical qualifier campaign.
Against Kuwait, Oman took the lead early through a well-taken goal by Ali al Balushi, setting the tone as they asserted control in the opening stages. The squad, featuring key players including goalkeeper Ibrahim al Kindi and midfielders Mohammed Abdulhakim and Said al Ghanbousi, created several promising scoring opportunities but were unable to extend their advantage.
As the second half progressed, coach Al Maimani made several strategic substitutions to test squad depth and player readiness for the qualifiers. Despite the changes, Kuwait team managed to equalise late in the match, earning a 1-1 draw with a goal that came just before full-time.
This friendly marks the first international match for Oman following their participation in the four-nation friendly tournament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where they recorded a 1-0 victory over Bahrain, drew 1-1 with Kyrgyzstan, and suffered a 2-0 loss to eventual champions Syria.
Oman were drawn in Group F for the Asian qualifiers, alongside the hosts Cambodia, Iraq and Pakistan. Their campaign will begin with a match against hosts Cambodia on September 3, followed by encounters with Iraq on September 6 and Pakistan on September 9. Only the group winners and the four best runners-up will advance to the finals in Saudi Arabia.
Squad: Jawad al Azi, Osama al Mahrouqi, Nasser al Saqri, Sameer al Hatmi, Said al Ghanbousi, Mohammed Bait Sabee, Abdulaziz al Shaqsi, Loqman al Jadidi, Masoud al Bahri, Abdullah al Jabri, Ibrahim al Kindi, Osama Bait Sameer, Ziyad al Rasbi, Abdulmajeed al Balushi, Abdulaleem al Rawahi, Nayef Bait Sabeeh, Turki Bait Rabee, Ali al Balushi, Yassar al Balushi, Rashad al Dheen, Mohammed al Oraibi, Abdulhadi al Manwari, Essa al Buraidi and Adnan al Mushaifri.
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