Oman all set for Doha to chase WC dream

MUSCAT, OCT 5

The Oman national football team delegation will depart on Monday to Doha as the Red Warriors chasing their historic qualification for the Fifa World Cup 2026. With only two decisive matches standing between Oman and their long-awaited dream, the team will enter this phase with determination and high morale. The delegation will be led by Sayyid Sulaiman bin Hamoud al Busaidy, Chairman of Oman Football Association (OFA), alongside the technical and administrative staff of the national team. Head coach Carlos Queiroz selected a 27-player squad for this crucial campaign, which will see Oman facing Qatar on Wednesday and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday in Doha.

Red Warriors completed the second phase of their training camp in Muscat, which was attended by Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth, as well as the OFA Chairman and several board members. The top official of the Ministry met with the players and confirmed the Ministry full support to the team. The training sessions reflected a strong spirit within the team, combining physical readiness with tactical awareness. In the final two training sessions which was held behind closed doors at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, the Portuguese tactician intensified his team’s preparation. The closed-door sessions aimed to preserve the confidentiality of Oman’s tactical strategies ahead of the crucial fixtures. The drills focused on improving team cohesion across all lines, sharpening attacking efficiency, and enhancing the players’ ability to capitalise on goal-scoring opportunities.

FINAL PREPARATIONS IN DOHA

Upon arrival in Doha, Oman will conduct their official training session at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, the venue for their opening clash against Qatar on Wednesday. Subsequently, the team will shift training to the Qatar University green fields, where they will prepare for the UAE encounter scheduled for Saturday. This marks Oman’s 10th Asian Qualifiers campaign, and the team will look to draw inspiration from their historic 2-1 win over Qatar during the Gulf Cup in December 2024 as their first victory over the Gulf champions in 11 matches dating back to 2009.

Oman will compete in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 2026, where each group winner will directly advance to the next round, while second-placed teams will fight for playoff berths. The matches will follow a single round-robin format at centralised venues, with the Qatar Football Association hosting Group A and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation organising Group B fixtures. Among the group’s contenders, Oman remains the only team chasing a maiden Fifa World Cup appearance, while Indonesia, Iraq, and the UAE seek to return for a second time each. Qatar and Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, aim to achieve back-to-back World Cup participations.

SQUAD:

Ibrahim al Mukhaini, Bilal al Balushi, Fayez al Rushaidi, Khalid al Buraiki, Musab al Shaqsi, Mahmood al Mushaifri, Ahmed al Khamisi, Nayef Bait Subaih, Thani al Rushaidi, Amjad al Harthy, Ghanim al Habshi, Ali al Busaidy, Sultan al Marzooq, Harib al Saadi, Arshad al Alawi, Abdullah Fawaz, Zaher al Aghbari, Jameel al Yahmadi, Abdulrahman al Mushaifri, Mohsin al Ghassani, Nasser al Rawahi, Salah al Yahyaei, Mohammed al Ghafri and Essam al Subhi.

The drills focused on improving team cohesion across all lines, sharpening attacking efficiency, and enhancing the players’ ability to capitalise on goal-scoring opportunities.