ADIL AL BALUSHI
MUSCAT, NOV 17
The Oman’s national football team will face one of their toughest challenges in the current preparation phase when they will meet Côte d'Ivoire on Tuesday at the Seeb Stadium. The highly anticipated friendly match will begin at 7:00 pm and is expected to provide valuable insight into the Red Warriors’ readiness ahead of their decisive Fifa Arab Cup Qatar 2025 qualifier against Somalia on November 26.
The encounter will mark Oman’s second warm-up match in the underway domestic camp, following their convincing 2-0 win over Sudan last Friday at the same venue. That victory offered head coach Carlos Queiroz and his technical staff a positive start, but Tuesday’s clash will present a significantly more demanding test. Côte d'Ivoire, ranked 42nd in the October Fifa World Ranking, recently secured qualification to the Fifa World Cup 2026, highlighting their current strength and form on the international stage.
Coach Queiroz emphasised during recent training sessions the need to sharpen both defensive structure and attacking transitions. The Portuguese tactician focused on refining tactical movement, pressing patterns, and quick offensive buildup, all of which will be thoroughly examined against the speed, power, and discipline of the African champions.
The match is expected to serve as a key evaluation platform for the coaching staff, especially as they seek to finalise the squad composition and tactical approach for the upcoming essential encounter with Somalia. With Oman looking to secure a place in the Arab Cup’s group stage, facing an elite side such as Côte d'Ivoire offers the perfect environment to test the team’s resilience, adaptability, and overall readiness.
According to team insiders, Queiroz is likely to rotate the squad and hand opportunities to players who did not feature in the Sudan match. These include goalkeepers Fayez al Rushaidi and Ibrahim al Mukhaini, along with seasoned full-back Ali al Busaidy and midfielder Abdullah Fawaz, who has been training individually in recent days before rejoining group sessions. Their inclusion is expected to widen the competition within the squad and provide the coaching staff with a broader assessment of available options.
The match will also serve as a platform for Queiroz to implement specific tactical variations tailored for high-level opposition. The latest training sessions have indicated emphasis on compact defensive organisation, rapid counterattacks, and situational high pressing elements that will be crucial when facing physically strong and technically gifted opponents.
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