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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

OFA set for jam-pack season

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MUSCAT - The Oman Football Association (OFA) is all set for a tightly packed 2017-18 season with only 118 matchdays available for a total of 393 matches in various categories. There will be plenty of football actions across the Sultanate with stadiums from Muscat to Dhofar staging matches on all of the matchdays.


As a result, the OFA will hold seven matches per matchday in the Omantel League to provide each club three days’ rest after every match.


“In the present context, the OFA is unable to limit the matches to three per matchday as in earlier occasions. This season it is also World Cup year (2018 World Cup in Russia) as there could not be any match after May 27, according to Fifa regulations,” said Mohammed Saifuddin, OFA’s technical consultant for competition and professional league, told Oman Observer.


The World Cup 2018 Russia will be held from June 14 to July 15.


“We can only get concession for one or two days after May 27 if we have a special request and no matches are to be held during the World Cup,” the Malaysian consultant said.


Oman junior team will play in the AFC Asian Cup U-23 final round in China from January 7 to 29.


“Many players from the clubs are to be released for the Asian Cup U-23 finals and this makes the season more cramped. However, the OFA has worked out a sufficient plan to tackle the less number of matchdays,” Saifuddin said.


In Omantel League, stadiums such as Salalah Complex, Sohar Complex, Seeb, Sur Complex and Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex will be in action in all the matchdays.


The Omantel League will begin on September 13 and ends on November 27.


PLAYER REGISTRATION


Regarding the players’ registration, many clubs like Mirbat, Saham, Sohar, Al Nasr, Al Ouroba are lagging behind as the deadline for the registration for a minimum of 18 players per club ended on Wednesday.


Only Al Salam, Al Shabab, Dhofar and Muscat have completed the required number of registration of players.


“Those clubs which failed to register the required number of players will have to pay a fine per each player they required to reach the quota of 18 players per club,” Shaikh Shabib al Hosni of the OFA said.


“And if any player is not registered till the start of the League (September 13), he will not be allowed to play in the League,” Al Hosni said.


Replying to a query on renaming the League as Omantel League from earlier Omantel Professional League (OPL), Al Hosni said the entity of OPL is still intact monitoring the conduct of the League.


“We have only renamed the main league as Omantel League and as far as OPL is concerned, all the infrastructure remains the same,” he said.


The 23rd Gulf Cup will be held in Doha, Qatar from December 23 to January 7.


“The Gulf Cup also comes towards the end of the year, and we further have to prepare the team and clubs will have to release the players. So considering the busy and hectic schedule we have decided to conduct maximum matches per matchday of the leagues. We have also ensured sufficient rest for the players in between the matches,” Saifuddin said.


The first division league will start on September 14 and ends on November 30.


There will be six matches in the first division on all 14 matchdays.


Jalan, Majees, Al Musannah, Bausher, Al Khabourah, Al Seeb and Al Wusta will be part of the first group, while Bidiyah, Al Rustaq, Bahla, Salalah, Sur, Al Bashaer, Nizwa form the second group.


The second division league starts on October 20 and ends on January 26, 2018.


Al Ittihad, Ahli Sidab, Al Ittifaq, Quriyat, Samayil, Madha, Ibri and Masirah will compete for the honours in the second division.


Many of the matches in second division will begin at 3:30, while some in first division are slated for a 3:15 start.


Anuroop Athiparambath


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