Oman beach soccer team resumes Asian Cup preparation
The Oman national beach soccer team is set to return to domestic training on Sunday as part of their preparations for the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2025. After concluding the first phase of their internal camp last week, the squad will gather again at the sand court of Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex for an intensive training period running until February 8.
Oman head coach Talib Hilal, who has been at the helm since 2008, reaffirmed Oman's ambitious target for the tournament. 'Our objective in the upcoming Asian Beach Soccer Championship is to compete for the title. Oman is currently ranked 17th in the world, and we are striving to enhance our position in future competitions,' he told the Oman Observer.
Addressing Oman's preparatory games, Hilal revealed that a planned match against Senegal was cancelled at the last moment. 'We are now exploring other options for friendly matches in the coming weeks. The next camp will feature the same squad from the previous gathering, and we hope to reach peak readiness by the time the tournament begins,' he added.
The Red Warriors wrapped up their last local training camp with two friendly matches against Saudi Arabia. The first match ended in a 4-3 penalty shoot-out loss, while Oman secured a 3-1 victory in the second game.
In the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2025, Oman have been drawn into Group D alongside Bahrain, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The tournament will take place in Pattaya from March 20 to 30. The competition also serves as the qualifying event for the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup, with the top three teams earning spots for the 2025 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup in Seychelles.
Oman will look to reignite the glory of 2015, when they were crowned Asian champions and secured their place among the continent's elite beach soccer teams. The 18-player squad includes several members from Al Amerat Club, the reigning champions of the domestic beach soccer league, after their dominant 7-0 victory over Salalah in the final earlier this month.
Oman Squad:
Khalid al Oraimi, Munther al Oraimi, Abdullah al Souti, Nooh al Zadjali, Mashal al Oraimi, Ahmed al Owaisi, Salim al Oraimi, Younis al Owaisi, Sami al Balushi, Ahmed al Mushekhi, Yahya al Muraiki, Abdulrahman al Fazari, Musallam al Oraimi, Ahmed al Oraimi, Majid al Affari, Yousef al Zadjali, Amjad al Hamadani and Khalifa al Quraini.
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