MUSCAT: The Oman national football team has turned full attention to the next challenge against UAE in a decisive clash following Oman's goalless draw against hosts Qatar in the opening match of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 2026 Playoffs in Group A.
The Red Warriors resumed their training sessions on Thursday night at Qatar University Greenfield, under the supervision of head coach Carlos Queiroz and his coaching staff. The session was open to media representatives for the first 15 minutes only before the team shifted to closed tactical work as preparations intensified for Saturday’s crucial encounter against UAE.
Queiroz expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance against Qatar, praising their discipline and fighting spirit. “The team managed to perform well in the match and succeeded in halting the attacks of the opponent team who we expected would push hard to achieve victory at their home.”
“We knew the match would be difficult as the team players delivered top show with high fighting spirit. Despite our solid defensive performance, we also managed to create scoring chances, though we couldn’t convert them to goals.”
The Portuguese tactician, who guided Iran and Portugal in previous Fifa World Cups, acknowledged that sharing points was a fair outcome.
“I believe a draw was the best result for both teams, as a loss would significantly reduce our qualification chances. We do not have much time before facing UAE but we will work hard to prepare well and stay focused on our ultimate goal of achieving the dream of qualifying for the World Cup,” he emphasised.
Oman, Qatar and UAE are all vying for the single automatic qualification spot to advance to the 2026 Fifa World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Oman are underway in preparations for their quest for a historic first-ever World Cup appearance, while Qatar aim to return to the finals after debuting as hosts in 2022.
POSITIVE START
Oman’s team captain Ali al Busaidy said that earning a point in the opening match was a positive start under challenging circumstances. “Despite the challenges we faced and the limited training time in Qatar, we managed to secure a valuable point. Now, our full focus is on the UAE match, where we will aim for victory to strengthen our chances and make our fans proud,” he said.
Oman’s Thani al Rushaidi, who won the best player award of the match, expressed happiness with the award. "This was possible due to my teammates support. Our focus is now for the forthcoming match against UAE and we will fight to achieve positive result,” he said.
Meanwhile, Qatar head coach Julen Lopetegui reflected on his team’s draw, saying his players performed well against a disciplined Omani side.
“We played a good match but we faced a stubborn team that was very organised defensively. We created several opportunities but could not take advantage of them,” Lopetegui added.
"Given the injuries in our squad, I am satisfied with the effort and mentality of the players. The result does not affect our confidence as we will keep pushing to achieve our goal of World Cup qualification,” he added.
Oman will take on UAE on Saturday while Qatar meet the UAE on Tuesday in what promises to be a decisive phase in the group campaign.
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