4 days ago
Sayyid Sulaiman elected as chairman of OFA
MUSCAT: Sayyid Sulaiman bin Hamood al Busaidy was elected as the new Chairman of the Oman Football Association (OFA) for the 2025–2029 term. Sayyid Sulaiman secured 30 out of 43 votes while his opponent, Dr Jassim bin Mohammed al Shukaili, received 13 votes, during the general assembly meeting on Wednesday. The election, conducted through an advanced digital voting system under supervision of OFA election committee and Fifa representative, witnessed attendance of 43 member clubs present. The process commenced with a roll call and proceeded smoothly under the supervision of the OFA Election Committee and Fifa representative Hasan Hassan, and Shaheen Rahimi from Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Salim al Wahaibi, the former OFA chairman, delivered a speech ahead of the election process, highlighting the achievements of the previous board and emphasising the importance of the next phase of the association to ensure the continuous development of Oman's football.
New OFA chairman celebrates after announcing the results
In the race for the Vice-Chairman position, Qutaiba bin Said al Ghailani was elected after receiving 22 votes, surpassing Nasr bin Hamood al Wahaibi and Sayyid Musallam bin Salim al Busaidy who received 12 and 9 votes respectively. Hajar bint Khamis al Muzainiyah was elected to the women's representative after gaining 25 votes while her fellow candidate Fatma bint Ibrahim al Fazariyah secured 18 votes. The former Oman Olympic coach and former national team player, Mohammed bin Khamis al Oraimi, was elected as representative of the players in the OFA board.
As for the Board Member positions, Abdullah bin Salim al Shanfari, Abdullah bin Ali al Rashdi, and Ali bin Ahmed al Kathiri received 21, 19 and 16 votes respectively.
The election process commenced under the supervision of the OFA Election Committee and Fifa representative
DOORS OPEN FOR ALL Following his election, Sayyid Sulaiman expressed his gratitude to the General Assembly members for their confidence and support. He also extended appreciation to the outgoing Board, chaired by Al Wahaibi, acknowledging their significant efforts and contributions to Omani football. In his remarks, Al Busaidy highlighted the smooth organisation of the electoral process and praised the work of the Election Committee, in addition to thanking the media for their comprehensive coverage.
"The doors of OFA are open to all technical experts and specialists. We will soon form specialised committees and we welcome everyone with the passion and expertise to contribute to the development of Oman's football. Our priorities will focus on elevating the top-tier league, enhancing all domestic competitions, and introducing a new Olympic league. We will work in partnership with the General Assembly to ensure continued progress." Sayyid Sulaiman said Also, he emphasised that the national team will remain the top strategic priority.
Hajar al Muzaini (L) wins OFA's women seat
'Oman team are currently in the playoff qualification stage and it is in our top priorities to work for the historic qualification for the Fifa World Cup. There will be a discussions with the technical and coaching staff in the coming days to chart the path forward,' he added 'I already presented my vision for the development of Omani football to the club presidents during pre-election visits across the Sultanate of Oman. However, I refrained from sharing it with the public prior to the elections to ensure full focus on the national team and to maintain neutrality. There is a clear vision and I will share it with the public through a dedicated media and press conference soon," he said.
