MUSCAT: The Red Warriors will take on the UAE on Saturday in a must-win match in their concluding crucial AFC Asian Qualifiers — Road to 2026 Playoffs of Group A. The Oman team players will enter Saturday's match with one clear target to keep their hopes alive and closer to achieving the dream of qualifying for the Fifa World Cup. The game will take place at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha and is scheduled to begin at 9:15 p.m. (Oman time).
A win against the UAE will place Oman in an ideal position to realise the long-awaited dream of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history. A draw or defeat, however, will leave their fate hanging on Tuesday’s final group match between hosts Qatar and the UAE.
Head coach Carlos Queiroz and his squad are fully aware of the significance of this decisive fixture. The Portuguese tactician emphasised unity, resilience, and pride in the team. The team suffered a major setback with the loss of Jameel al Yahmadi, who sustained a serious injury during the goalless draw against Qatar and will be sidelined for up to 12 months. His absence is expected to be filled by Nasser al Rawahi, who delivered a strong performance in midfield in the previous game. Meanwhile, Captain Harib al Saadi will return to the starting lineup after serving a one-match suspension due to yellow card accumulation.
TOP PERFORMANCE
In the pre-match press conference on Friday, coach Queiroz expressed confidence in his players as he said, “I am confident that we will deliver a tough match and win. Everyone knows the responsibility we carry to make history for the country. The UAE has a good coach and strong players, and we respect them, but we also have a powerful team. Both sides have equal chances to win. We will do our best in every scoring attempt and maintain a balance between defence and attack. Our tactical plan will be shown on the field”.
Nayef Faraj, the Oman team player, affirmed that he will do his best with his teammates in the squad. “We know the responsibility and will do our level best to fight for playing to achieve the long-awaited dream. The UAE match has its own technical details and will follow the technical staff direction to win the encounter”, he said.
Sayyid Sulaiman bin Hamoud al Busaidy, Chairman of the Oman Football Association (OFA), and senior officials attended the final training sessions on Thursday and Friday, where the players showed full readiness and strong determination ahead of the decisive encounter.
Oman showed defensive solidity and strong discipline in their match against Qatar; the coaching staff sharpened the attacking transitions in the last sessions to ensure making the most of scoring opportunities. The key players in the attacking side will be: Issam al Subhi, Mohsin al Ghassani, Salah al Yahyaei, and Abudul Rahman al Mushefri.
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