Red Warriors in extensive training ahead of Cafa tourney

MUSCAT, Aug 26

The Oman national football team is undergoing an external training camp in Türkiye as part of preparations for the upcoming Central Asian Football Association (Cafa) Championship in Uzbekistan and decisive stage of AFC Asian qualifiers – Road to 26. The camp, held at one of Türkiye’s most advanced training facilities, has been progressing smoothly under the direct supervision of head coach Carlos Queiroz and his technical staff.

Hussain al Zadjali, a member of the team’s administrative staff, praised the progress of the camp, as he said: “The camp is going smoothly and according to the set plan by the technical coaching staff. The Fenerbahce Lefter Kucukandonyadis Sports Complex is one of the best centers in Türkiye and is equipped with all necessary facilities. The team will travel to Uzbekistan on Thursday for the Central Asian event. This stage is very critical and we are looking for support from everyone.”

The squad welcomed the arrival of striker Al Mundher al Alawi, who joined the camp on Monday after completing his club commitments with Jordan’s Al Wahdat FC. His inclusion added further depth to the squad as the team looks ahead to the decisive fixtures. On the other hand, the joining of other professional four players including: Essam al Subhi, Khalid al Buraiki, Mohsin al Ghassani and Abdulrahman al Mushaifri was not possible in the current camp due to their commitment with their clubs. They will join the team by beginning of September as it will match with Fifa days.

The Central Asian Championship, hosted in Uzbekistan, will be staged across several top venues including the prestigious Pakhtakor Stadium and the Central Stadium in Tashkent, which are well known for hosting international competitions. Oman will face regional rivals including the hosts Uzbekistan on Saturday, Kyrgyzstan on September 2 and will conclude group matches against Turkmenistan on September 5. These matches are expected to provide tough tests and valuable experience for the Red Warriors as they will continue their journey towards the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to the 2026 Fifa World Cup in coming October with two deceive clashes against Qatar and UAE in Doha. With the ongoing camp in Turkey and the upcoming challenge in Uzbekistan, Red Warriors on the right track and fully focused on their mission to raise the level of performance and snatch the historic spot to qualify to the 2026 Fifa World Cup.