MUSCAT: The Oman Football Association (OFA) will host an international friendly Beach Soccer Championship in March as part of the national beach Soccer team preparation plan for the 6th edition of Asian Beach Games in Sanya in China.
The high-profile friendly event is expected to feature three internationally ranked teams including: Belarus, Brazil and the hosts Oman. This event will provide Oman’s beach soccer squad with valuable competitive exposure ahead of their major continental assignment.
Abdullah al Saadi, Team Manager of Oman beach Soccer team, affirmed to Oman Observer that the event will feature participation of three World ranking teams. "We have received confirmation from Belarus and are awaiting final confirmation from world champions Brazil to join the tournament. In the event of Brazil’s withdrawal, we will target another top-ranked international team. This friendly event will take place in Muscat after Ramadhan and by last week of March," he said
The upcoming friendly championship will form a central component of the national team’s structured preparation programme.
"The team is underway currently in a domestic preparatory camp in Muscat while they will continue in their preparation plan by having three preparatory camps in the holy month of Ramadhan. We are also considering an external training camp in either Thailand or China ahead of the Asian Beach Games in Sanya to ensure optimal readiness," he ended.
Under the guidance of experienced domestic head coach Talib Hilal, the national team is undergoing a transitional phase which feature established stars with emerging young talents. The current camp placed particular emphasis on evaluating promising players, many of them explored during the 2025–2026 Oman Beach Soccer League season which concluded with Al Amerat Club lifting the title.
The integration of youth prospects reflects the technical staff’s long-term strategy of strengthening squad depth while maintaining competitive standards at the highest level.
Oman’s beach soccer team established itself as one of Asia’s leading sides in recent years. The team finished runners-up at the 2025 AFC Asian Beach Soccer Cup in Thailand, falling to Iran in the final. They also represented the Sultanate at the 2025 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup in Seychelles, where they faced formidable opposition, including world champions Brazil and finalists Italy and secured a notable penalty shootout victory over El Salvador despite exiting at the group stage.
In addition to the Asian Beach Games, Oman will compete in the AFC Asian Beach Soccer Cup in November in Thailand, making 2026 a pivotal year for the national programme.
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