Oman blank Saudi to lead Group A, Iran top Group B
Saudi Arabia ended in second place with four points followed by Hong Kong in third with two points and Maldives in fourth place with no points. Oman's Assad al Hasani, Said al Hasani and their teammates delivered a top match against Saudi Arabia as they entered to the second stage of the tournament with high morale to go further.
Oman player attempts a shot at Saudi goal.
In Group B, Asian heavyweights Iran claimed the top spot with eight points after a convincing 2-0 win over the Philippines in the concluding round. Jordan came in second with six points, Pakistan third with four points, while the Philippines and India followed with two and nil points respectively.
In the women's competition, two key matches will take place on Tuesday at the sand court of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. The Philippines will face India at 6 pm and it will be followed by Vietnam clash against Hong Kong at 7 pm. The women's competition is being held in a double round-robin format with the top two teams qualifying for the 2026 IHF Beach Handball World Championship. Vietnam currently are leading the group standings by six points and followed by the Philippines with four points and then India with two points while Hong Kong with no points are at the bottom.
Oman during an attack at Saudi post.
FULL EFFORT
Oman's Asaad al Hasani said the team will deliver their full efforts in the forthcoming round after beating Saudi.
"The match started strongly from both teams and we lost the focus in the beginning of the first half but we managed to return to the match before end of the opening set. In the second half, we dominated and reached to the opponent's danger area and earned the required points to end the match on a victory note," he said.
Saudi team manager Othman Ahmed praised his players' impressive show at the group stage. 'Thanks to the players for their outstanding performance in the group stage. Now, our target is to focus in the next match against Pakistan in quarterfinals (which took place on Monday night). The coaching staff reviewed the opponent's strength and weak points. Our main objective is secure one of the slots for the 2026 IHF Beach Handball World Championship,' he said.
Responding to an inquiry on the tight match schedules, he said: 'All players were trained accordingly to play many games within one week time. Also, our last presence in the GCC Beach Games in Muscat was an advantage for the team as it was a good preparation and we adopted with the environment ahead of the Asian event,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
4 days ago
- Observer
Oman face Kuwait in West Asia tourney opener
MUSCAT, JULY 18 Oman national men's volleyball team will begin its journey in the West Asia Championship this evening, where they will face Kuwait at Isa Bin Rashid Hall in the Bahraini capital, Manama. This match is part of Group B of the championship, which is taking place from July 17 to 27, with eight teams participating: Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon. Under the leadership of Iranian coach Reza Hossein Kaki, our national team enters the opening match with high aspirations, aiming for a strong start to provide them with a motivational boost before their next matches against Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The team has completed its preparations with a successful training camp in Egypt, along with four friendly matches against the Saudi team, winning three and losing one, which helped enhance their technical and physical readiness. In a statement, Iranian coach Reza Hossein Kaki expressed his confidence in the players' ability to deliver an honorable performance in the tournament, confirming that the team is ready both technically and mentally for the opening match against Kuwait. He said, "We went through an intensive preparation phase that included an internal camp and then an external camp in Egypt, where we played friendly matches with Egypt and the UAE, achieving positive results. We also played four matches with Saudi Arabia in Muscat, winning three of them. This programme was not just about physical and technical preparation; it was also an important phase to build cohesion and increase understanding between the team's lines." Kaki added "we respect the Kuwaiti team, which is strong and has excellent players, but we are well-prepared for this match. We will analyse their strengths and weaknesses after the start of the game, and we will have a strategic plan to deal with different match scenarios." Kaki explained that the mental aspect and psychological pressure have received great attention from the technical staff in recent days, saying, "Short tournaments require a great balance of focus, and every point will be crucial in a group that includes strong teams like Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The players are mentally ready, and we understand the importance of every point in this group. On his part, Sabah al Buraydi, the team manager, confirmed that the team is in top physical and mental condition, pointing out that the players are fully committed to the instructions of the coaching staff. He added, "The players are fully ready and showing clear commitment to the plan and instructions. Everyone is excited to represent Oman in a way that does it justice." Regarding the selection of the team, Al Buraydi said that the players were chosen based on a close follow-up of the local league matches, and the list was reduced to 14 players after several withdrawals due to injuries. There is good harmony between the technical, administrative staff, and the players, which is one of our strongest points. TEAM READINESS AND HIGH SPIRITS Younis al Amri, a player on the team, confirmed that the team's morale is high ahead of the opening match, explaining that the team underwent an ideal preparation period and is now more ready than ever. Al Amri said, we had a strong camp in Egypt and played matches against the Saudi team, which helped us improve our performance and increase cohesion among us. He added, the match against Kuwait is psychologically important, and we understand its significance. A win will give us a motivational boost for the rest of the journey, and we are ready to achieve that. The list of players selected for the championship includes 14 players chosen after a series of camps and friendly matches: Saud al Maamri, Ahmad al Toubi, Yousef al Shukaili, Hamad al Maamri, Mohamed al Muqbali, Adam al Jalboubi, Abdullah al Muqbali, Abdullah al Shibli, Ismail al Hadi, Khamis al Jabri, Younis al Amri, Mahmoud al Saadi, Adam al Jaradi, and Abdulbasit al Balushi. The team is technically overseen by Iranian coach Reza Hossein Kaki, assisted by Hamid bin Mahj al Muqbali as the assistant coach. Buba Serous Aziezi is in charge of physical preparation, and Mohammed Ma'in serves as the performance analyst, assisted by Abdullah al Dhahouri.
Muscat Daily
6 days ago
- Muscat Daily
Oman to face Qatar and UAE in World Cup Qualifiers in October
By OUR CORRESPONDENT Muscat – The draw for the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 placed the Oman national football team in Group A alongside Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The draw was held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Group A matches will be hosted by Qatar in a single-stage league format from October 8 to 14, 2025. Group B, hosted by Saudi Arabia, will include Iraq and Indonesia. The six teams were divided into two groups of three, with only the top team in each group qualifying directly for the 2026 World Cup finals, joining six Asian teams that have already secured their spots. The second-placed teams from each group will face off in a two-legged playoff on November 13 and 18. The winner will advance to the intercontinental playoff, competing for an additional World Cup berth. An additional draw decided that the runner-up of Group A will host the first leg of the playoff.
Observer
7 days ago
- Observer
Oman set for WC 2026 playoff draw
MUSCAT, JULY 16 The Oman national football team will learn their fate in the decisive stage of the Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers as the playoff round draw will take place on Thursday at 11:00 am (Oman time). The draw which will be held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Malaysia, will mark the beginning of Oman's last and most crucial push to achieve a historic maiden qualification to the Fifa World Cup. The forthcoming phase of Oman's football will be led by the veteran Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz, who was officially appointed as head coach on Tuesday by the Oman Football Association (OFA). The OFA confirmed the appointment via an official media statement on its social media platforms, expressing confidence in Queiroz's ability to take Red Warriors into new heights. Queiroz, whose illustrious coaching career includes spells with the national teams of Iran, Egypt, Colombia, and South Africa, as well as a tenure as assistant manager of Manchester United, will bring a wealth of tactical international experience. His leadership is expected to be a key factor as Oman prepares to navigate one of the toughest phases in Asian football qualification. He will assisted by the Omani experienced coach Hamed al Azzani who is also in charge of Oman U-19 head coach. The AFC playoff round will feature six teams including: Oman, Indonesia, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE as all of them finished third and fourth in their respective groups during the third round of qualification. These teams will be split into two groups of three, with only the group winners earning direct tickets to the Fifa World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Each group will play in a single round-robin format hosted at centralised venues. The Qatar Football Association and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation have been confirmed as the official hosts for the playoff stage. The draw pots will be based on Fifa Men's World Rankings as of June 13 as Qatar (53) and Saudi Arabia (58) in Pot one while Iraq (59) and United Arab Emirates (66) will be set at pot two. Oman (79) and Indonesia (118) are in pot three. The playoff set to be held during October 8 to 14 in Doha and Riyadh cities. Carlos Queiroz Oman's fans hopes are high with the new leadership of Carlos Queiroz and the experience of a battle-hardened squad. All the audience will aim that Oman can make a historic breakthrough and join the global elite at the Fifa World Cup for the first time in the history. The two teams which will end as runner-up in their group, they will still have a final opportunity to qualify through a Knockout Stage scheduled for November 13 and 18. The winner of that tie will progress to the Fifa intercontinental Play-Off tournament, offering one last chance at securing qualification.
