New faces to join Oman beach soccer squad

MUSCAT, JAN 14

Head coach of Oman beach soccer team, Talib Hilal, affirmed that a group of promising young players will join the national team squad by the beginning of February as the team will begin a new preparation phase following the conclusion of the domestic beach soccer league.

Speaking to Oman Observer, the domestic veteran coach said the upcoming training camp will feature several new faces, reflecting the technical staff’s focus on youth development alongside experience. “The squad will include a number of young players who distinguished themselves in the recently concluded beach soccer league,” Hilal said.

“These players will join the national team camp in early February and the official list will be announced very soon.”

The new call-ups are expected to come from Al Oruba, Saham, Masirah, Al Amerat and other leading clubs. They will train alongside experienced internationals including: Khalid al Oraimi, Mashal al Oraimi, Salim al Oraimi, Younis al Owaisi and besides others forming a balanced blend of youth and experience.

Currently ranked second in Asia, behind regional powerhouse Iran, Oman’s beach soccer team is gearing up for a busy international calendar. The team’s immediate focus will be the Asian Beach Games, which is scheduled to take place in Sanya, China, from April 22 to 30, followed later in the year by the AFC Asian Beach Soccer Cup, set for November in Thailand.

FIRST GATHERING

Hilal noted that the upcoming domestic camp will mark the first national team gathering after a long break, with an emphasis on restoring competitive sharpness and evaluating player readiness.

“This camp is important to assess the physical and technical condition of the players after the league season,” he explained.

“We are also planning to arrange strong international friendly matches, particularly against European teams to measure our level against top-ranked opponents. The Asian teams often compete at a similar level, facing European sides will provide a clear benchmark ahead of major continental and international competitions,” he ended.

At the club level, Al Amerat Club recently clinched the 2025–26 Beach Soccer League title, defeating Al Oruba in a thrilling final 7-6 at the sand courts of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. The triumph marked Al Amerat’s third consecutive league title. Masirah finished as runners-up after a 6–2 victory over Saham, while Al Oruba secured third place.

On the international stage, Oman had finished runners-up at the 2025 AFC Asian Beach Soccer Cup in Thailand, suffering an 8-1 defeat to Iran in the final. The team also had featured at the 2025 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup in Seychelles, where they exited at the group stage. Oman faced tough opposition, including world champions Brazil and finalists Italy, while securing a hard-fought penalty shoot-out victory over El Salvador.