MUSCAT: Oman national football team will take on Sudan in a preparatory match on November 14 in Muscat and it will be followed by another friendly match against Côte d'Ivoire on November 18 in Muscat. Both warm up matches are part of the team domestic camp which will take place from Saturday to gear up for the next participation at Fifa Arab Cup Qatar 2025 which will begin in Doha from December 1 to 18. Oman will meet Somalia team in a qualifier match on November 26. The victory will take Oman to group stage of the Arab tournament.
Oman head coach Carlos Queiroz is expected to announce the squad for the camp within this week. This will be the national team’s first official appearance since their participation in the 2026 Fifa World Cup Asian Qualifiers Playoff stage, where the Red Warriors finished third in their group. Oman held hosts Qatar to a goalless draw in their opening fixture before suffering a 2-1 loss to the UAE in the decisive encounter. Qatar topped the group and advanced directly to the World Cup, while the UAE claimed the second spot to move into the next playoff stage.
Both upcoming friendlies will be crucial for Queiroz’s men to test their strategy, fine-tune squad coordination and rebuild competitive rhythm following the recent qualifiers. The second friendly against Côte d'Ivoire will offer a significant challenge as the African powerhouse, ranked 42nd in the latest Fifa World Ranking, are three-time Africa Cup of Nations champions and recently sealed qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup after defeating Kenya 3–0. The match against Sudan will provide Oman with an opportunity to implement tactical approaches and assess new combinations before taking on the more formidable Ivorian side.
Oman will be aiming to replicate and surpass their previous achievement at the Fifa Arab Cup Qatar 2021, where they reached the quarterfinals before bowing out to Tunisia in a closely contested 2–1 encounter.
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