Red Warriors in good shape to face Sudan in friendly

MUSCAT: Red Warriors are all set to meet Sudan in their first friendly preparatory match scheduled on Friday as part of the underway domestic camp to gear up for Fifa Arab Cup Qatar 2025 pre-qualifier match against Somalia, scheduled to take place on November 26. The match against Sudan will kick off at 7 pm at Seeb Stadium.

Sudan, on other side, will meet Lebanon in a qualifier match for Arab Cup. Oman had met Sudan in a friendly match in last March and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Oman team players have shown strong readiness after completing four intensive training sessions in recent days under the direct supervision of head coach Carlos Queiroz. The sessions, held in both morning and evening periods, focused on tactical coordination, physical conditioning and enhancing the players’ match sharpness ahead of the upcoming friendlies.

Sudan’s delegation arrived in Muscat earlier this week and began their own training programme in preparation for the Friday’s match. Following this fixture, Oman will play their second friendly against Ivory Coast on November 18, which will serve as the final test before the decisive Arab Cup qualifier.

Oman aim to secure victory against Somalia and book their spot in the group stage of the Fifa Arab Cup Qatar 2025.

On the squad front, Abdullah Fawaz continued his individual training under the supervision of the medical and fitness staff, while Al Mundher al Alawi rejoined full training on Tuesday after returning to the national team setup following his absence in the recent Fifa World Cup playoff stage.

The new faces in the squad including: Yousef al Malki of Al Shabab, Khalid al Ghatrifi of Al Nasr and Said al Alawi from Al Nahda impressed during camp with their energy, tactical awareness and commitment.

Queiroz’s 25-man squad blends experienced internationals and emerging talents. Goalkeepers Ibrahim al Mukhaini, Fayez al Rushaidi and Bilal al Balushi are joined by Ibrahim al Rajhi from Al Nasr, who earned his first senior team call-up.

As this camp does not fall within official Fifa international matchdays, several professional players based overseas were not included.

As this camp does not fall within official Fifa international match days, several professional players based overseas were not included, such as Mohsin al Ghassani (Bangkok United, Thailand) and Khalid al Buraiki and Abdulrahman al Mushaifri (SK Artis Brno, Czech Republic) due to their visa issues and could not join the team since the last presence with Red Warriors during Fifa decisive qualifier matches against Qatar and UAE last month.

The upcoming friendlies will be crucial for assessing the squad’s readiness as Oman aim to secure victory against Somalia and book their spot in the group stage of the Fifa Arab Cup Qatar 2025, set to take place in Doha from December 1 to 18.

Oman Squad:

Ibrahim al Mukhaini, Fayez al Rushaidi, Bilal al Balushi, Ibrahim al Rajhi, Musab al Shaqsi, Khalid al Gatreifi, Yousef al Malki, Ahmed al Khamisi, Mahmood al Mushaifri, Said al Alawi, Amjad al Harthy, Thani al Rushaidi, Ghanim al Habshi, Ali al Busaidy, Musab al Maamari, Ahed al Mashakheyi, Harib al Saadi, Jameel al Yahmadi, Abdullah Fawaz, Zaher al Ghabri, Al Mundher al Alawi, Nasser al Rawahi, Salah al Yahyai, Mohammed al Ghafri and Essam al Subhi.