Latest news with #SaudiArabia2026Qualifiers
Observer
5 days ago
- Sport
- Observer
Oman U-23 edge Bahrain in Bishkek International friendly opener
MUSCAT, JULY 18 The Oman U-23 Olympic team began their campaign in style at the four-team international friendly in Bishkek city, Kyrgyzstan with a 1-0 victory over Bahrain on Thursday. The only goal of Oman team scored by Abdulaziz al Shaqsi in the second half of the match sealing a well-deserved win at Dostuk Arena in Besh-Kungey village. The match saw a balanced first half with both sides testing each other's defenses but failing to convert chances. It was in the second half that Oman showed more urgency as Abdulaziz al Shaqsi managed to break the deadlock and score a decisive strike. In another match of the same event, the hosts Kyrgyzstan suffered to a 2-1 defeat against Syria on Thursday at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek city. Oman team will take on the hosts Kyrgyzstan on Sunday and then they will wrap up their fixtures against Syria on Wednesday. The tournament served as a key preparatory stage for Oman's participation in the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers which is scheduled in September. Oman drawn in Group F, alongside Iraq, Pakistan, and hosts Cambodia. Their qualifier campaign will begin on September 3 against Cambodia, followed by matches against Iraq on September 6, and Pakistan on September 9. Only the group winners and the four best second-placed teams will advance to the finals in Saudi Arabia. Under the guidance of head coach Badar al Maimani, the Olympic squad is undergoing intensive preparations to ensure peak performance in the qualifiers. The Bishkek tournament is a pivotal step in that journey, offering the players competitive exposure in an international setting. Following the participation at four-team international friendly in Bishkek city, the team will return to Oman to compete in a high-profile four-team tournament in Salalah starting from July 27 to August 3. This event will feature top-tier competition including reigning Omantel League champions Seeb Club, His Majesty's Cup holders Al Shabab, Omantel League runners-up Al Nahdha, and Salalah based clubs including Al Nasr and Dhofar. The Salalah event is set to provide both national and domestic sides with high-level match readiness ahead of their respective competitions. Coach Badar al Maimani has called up 24 players for the Bishkek assignment, including a mix of young emerging talents who are expected to gain valuable match exposure and international experience through the tournament. This friendly event is more than a warm-up as the players will enter into the mood of actual matches and will enhance their preparations ahead of Oman's road to the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026. Squad: Jawad al Azi, Osama al Mahrouqi, Nasser al Saqri, Sameer al Hatmi, Said al Ghanbousi, Abdullah al Jabri, Abdulaziz al Shaqsi, Loqman al Jadidi, Mohammed Abdulhakim, Rashad al Dhaeen, Osama Majdi, Ziyad al Rasbi, Turki Abdullah, Nayef Faraj, Sultan al Marzooq, Mohammed al Oraibi, Ahed al Mashakheyi, Abdulaleem al Rawahi, Ali al Balushi, Abdulhadi al Manwari, Ibrahim al Kindi, Masoud al Bahri, Hamed al Naimi and Yassar al Balushi.
Observer
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman U-23 to take part at International friendly in Bishkek
MUSCAT: Oman U-23 football team will take part in an international tournament which will be hosted in Kyrgyzstan during July 17 to 23 in Bishkek city. The football preparatory event will feature participation of four teams including: Syria, Bahrain, the hosts Kyrgyzstan and the Sultanate of Oman team. Oman team, coached by Badar al Maimani, will aim to utilise this participation with maximum technical output as they are gearing up for the main assignment which is taking part at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers in coming September. The Olympic team will begin their friendly campaign in Bishkek with a match against Bahrain team in the opener on July 17 while they will take on Kyrgyzstan on July 20 in the following match. They will conclude their matches with a clash against Syria team on July 23. All the matches will be held in two venues including: Alga Bishkek Stadium and Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek city. At the Asian qualifiers in coming September, the national Olympic team will compete in Group F alongside Iraq, Pakistan and hosts Cambodia at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers. The qualification matches will run from September 1 to 9, with Oman opening their campaign against Cambodia on September 3, facing Iraq on September 6 and concluding against Pakistan on September 9. The group winners and the best four runners-up across all groups will qualify for the finals, joining the host nation Saudi Arabia. The warm up gatherings focused on tactical drills, fitness sessions and team-building activities The team began on Sunday a short domestic camp in Muscat and it will run until Wednesday including 24 players called by coach, Badar al Maimani. This gathering will be followed by another camp until the travel day to Bishkek and both camps will act as part of the team's preparations for the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers. The warm up gatherings focused on tactical drills, fitness sessions, and team-building activities to solidify on-field chemistry and finalize the squad's tactical identity. The previous preparatory camp in Muscat which was held during end of June and early of July featured two friendly matches against local teams. The first match ended in a goalless draw between Olympic team and Royal Army of Oman while Oman Olympic team registered a 2-1 victory over Royal Guard of Oman. The camp also witnessed series of training sessions as the coaching staff headed by coach Badar al Maimani and his assistant Sultan al Touqi focused on the technical and tactical sides beside putting their touches on the starting list who will represent the team in coming Asian qualifiers assignment. Oman U-23 football team Squad: Jawad al Azi, Osama al Mahrouqi, Nasser al Saqri, Sameer al Hatmi, Said al Ghanbousi, Mohammed Abdulhakim, Abdulaziz al Shaqsi, Loqman al Jadidi, Abdullah al Jabri, Rashad al Dhaeen, Essa al Buraidi, Osama Majdi, Ziyad al Rasbi, Mohammed al Oraibi, Nayef Faraj, Sultan al Marzooq, Turki Abdullah, Ahed al Mashakheyi, Abdulaleem al Rawahi, Ali al Balushi, Abdulhadi al Manwari, Ibrahim al Kindi, Masoud al Bahri, Hamed al Naimi and Yassar al Balushi.
Observer
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman U-23 gears up for Asian qualifiers
MUSCAT, JUNE 27 The newly elected Oman Football Association Chairman, Sayyid Sulaiman bin Hamood al Busaidy, attended the Olympic football team training sessions on Thursday at Royal Oman Court Affairs stadium in Al Khoudh, as part of the team's preparations for the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers which is scheduled to take place in early September. The chief of OFA was briefed by the coaching staff of the team headed by coach Badar al Maimani and his assistant Sultan al Touqi on the team's programme for the last period and the forthcoming phase ahead of the qualifiers campigan start. The team began their domestic camp in Muscat on Monday and will run until Wednesday. Coach Badar opted 24 players for this camp including two players from UAE's youth league as he called Hamed al Naimi (Al Majd SC) and Mazin al Harrasi (Aldhafra FC). The 10 days camp included mostly from the evening training sessions as the coaching staff are putting their tactics on the selected names of the squad and they will finalise the list ahead of the qualifiers star. The Oman Olympic U-23 national football team concluded earlier this month ten-day overseas training camp in Russia. The Moscow's gathering camp featured three friendly matches including two against the Russia Olympic team and one against Saturn Ramenskoye FC. The first match ended in a 1-0 loss for Oman, followed by a goalless draw in the second encounter. The final match against Saturn Ramenskoye FC ended with a narrow 1-0 win for the latter. Despite the match results, coaching staff assessed the player readiness, experiment with lineups and address both offensive and defensive strategies. Furthermore, the players gained valuable experience competing against strong international sides and the camp enhanced team cohesion and on-field communication. Oman team will compete in Group F alongside Iraq, Pakistan and hosts Cambodia at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers. The qualification matches will run from September 1 to 9, with Oman opening their campaign against Cambodia on September 3, facing Iraq on September 6 and concluding against Pakistan on September 9. The group winners and the best four runners-up across all groups will qualify for the finals, joining the host nation Saudi Arabia. Prior to the Russia camp, Oman completed a domestic training phase in Muscat in May and the internal camp featured two warm-up matches including a 2-1 loss to the Royal Court Affairs team and a goalless draw with the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO). Squad: Jawad al Azi, Osama al Mahrouqi, Nasser al Saqri, Sameer al Hatmi, Said al Ghanbousi, Mohammed Abdulhakim, Abdulaziz al Shaqsi, Loqman al Jadidi, Essa al Buraidi, Rashad al Dhaeen, Osama Majdi, Ziyad al Rasbi, Mohammed al Oraibi, Nayef Faraj, Sultan al Marzooq, Turki Abdullah, Ahed al Mashakheyi, Abdulaleem al Rawahi, Ali al Balushi, Abdulhadi al Manwari, Ibrahim al Kindi, Masoud al Bahri, Hamed al Naimi and Mazin al Harrasi.
Observer
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman Olympic U-23 conclude Russia camp
MUSCAT: The Oman Olympic U-23 national football team has concluded their ten-day overseas training camp in Russia with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Saturn Ramenskoye FC in their final friendly match on Tuesday. This external camp formed a key phase in the team's preparations for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers. During the Russia camp, Oman played a total of three friendly matches — two against the Russia Olympic team and one against Saturn Ramenskoye FC. The first match ended in a 1-0 loss for Oman, followed by a goalless draw in the second encounter. The final match against Saturn Ramenskoye FC also concluded with a 1-0 result in favor of the hosts. Oman and Saturn Ramenskoye FC player fight for the ball Despite the match results, Oman's technical staff, led by head coach Bader al Maimani, considered the camp a success. The coaching team used the friendlies to assess player readiness, experiment with lineups and address both offensive and defensive strategies. Furthermore, the players gained valuable experience competing against strong international sides and the camp enhanced team cohesion and on-field communication. The Oman Olympic U-23 The camp was part of Oman's broader preparations for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers where they will compete in Group F alongside Iraq, Pakistan and hosts Cambodia. The qualification matches will run from September 1 to 9, with Oman opening their campaign against Cambodia on September 3, facing Iraq on September 6 and concluding against Pakistan on September 9. The group winners and the best four runners-up across all groups will qualify for the finals, joining the host nation Saudi Arabia. Prior to the Russia camp, Oman completed a domestic training phase in Muscat in May and the internal camp featured two warm-up matches including a 2-1 loss to the Royal Court Affairs team and a goalless draw with the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO).
Observer
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman Olympic in training camp in Russia for AFC Qualifiers
MUSCAT, JUNE 7 The Oman U-23 national team is currently engaged in an intensive external training camp in Moscow as part of their preparations for the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers which is scheduled to take place in early September. Led by head coach Badar al Maimani and his assistant Sultan al Tooqi, the team kicked off their sessions immediately after arriving in Russia last Sunday. The training program has placed strong emphasis on physical conditioning and tactical development, aiming to ensure optimal player readiness for the crucial qualification stage. The camp will conclude with a friendly fixture against FC Saturn Ramenskoye on Tuesday, allowing the coaching staff to further evaluate player performance in competitive conditions. The team played two friendly games against Russia team as the first warm up game ended for the hosts Russia team as they managed to defeat Oman by 1-0. The second math was played late on Saturday. The current Russia camp came after a comprehensive domestic training phase took place in Muscat last May where the team played two warm-up matches including a 2-1 defeat to the Royal Court Affairs team and a goalless draw with the Royal Navy of Oman. Oman is set to compete in Group F of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers alongside Iraq, Pakistan, and hosts Cambodia. The qualification matches will be held from September 1 to 9, 2025. A total of 45 teams are participating in the qualifiers, with the group winners and the best four runners-up earning a place in the 2026 finals in Saudi Arabia, joining the hosts. Coach Badar al Maimani's squad enters the qualifiers with strong momentum, having secured the West Asian Championship title last March in Muscat. Their unbeaten run in that tournament featuring victories over Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan and this title highlighted the team's growing potential and has boosted their morale heading into the Asian campaign.
