Muscat, Sept 16
Oman’s national beach soccer team will shift focus from the draw to preparation as the Beach Red Warriors gear up for the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2026, scheduled to be held in Phang Nga from November 18 to 28.
The draw, conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on September 10, placed Oman in Group C alongside the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan. While the draw was announced last week, the focus has now moved to Oman’s build-up programme and the team’s ambition to secure another Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup appearance.
Abdullah al Saadi, manager of the national beach soccer team, described the group as a tough one, especially with two Gulf rivals in the same pool.
“It is a difficult group. We will face the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in addition to Uzbekistan, who remain the unknown side in this group,” Al Saadi said. “Our ambition is to repeat the previous achievements of Oman beach soccer and, hopefully, qualify for the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup for the sixth time.”
Oman enter the tournament as one of Asia’s leading beach soccer teams. The Sultanate of Oman is currently ranked 10th in the world, third in Asia behind Iran and Japan, and first among Arab teams in the latest Beach Soccer Worldwide ranking.
The competition will also serve as the Asian qualifying pathway for the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup 2027, with only three spots available for the continent. That raises the importance of every match, particularly in a group that includes the UAE, ranked 11th globally, and a fast-improving Saudi side, ranked 17th.
Al Saadi said Saudi Arabia’s recent progress makes the group even more challenging. “We saw the development of the Saudi team in the past period. They were strong competitors at the Sanya Beach Games in April,” he said.
He added that Oman’s first target will be to finish top of the group in order to avoid a difficult early clash with defending champions Iran. “We have to work hard to top the group first. It is very important to avoid facing Iran in the quarterfinals,” he said.
INTERNAL, OVERSEAS CAMPS
Oman’s preparation plan will begin with an internal camp from October 6 to 12, followed by an overseas camp in Belarus from October 13 to 19. During the Belarus camp, Oman are expected to take part in a friendly tournament featuring Belarus and the UAE, with the national team set to play two friendly matches.
After returning from Belarus, the team will continue with further internal camps in Muscat, with plans to host another national team for additional warm-up matches. Oman are then scheduled to travel to Thailand on November 12 for a final camp in the host country before the tournament kicks off on November 18.
The top two teams from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.
Oman reached the final of the 2025 AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup in Thailand before losing to Iran, securing their best result in the tournament since winning the continental title in 2015. The team also reached the semifinals in 2019 and 2023, underlining its consistency among Asia’s elite.
The Beach Red Warriors also claimed silver at the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, earlier this year, while Saudi Arabia took bronze and Iran won gold. Those results add further weight to Group C, where Oman will need to be at their best from the opening match.
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