Dhofar, Sur face off for Super Cup

HM Cup champions Sur will lock horns with Omantel League winners Dhofar in the Super Cup clash on Friday. The Rustaq Sports Complex will be the venue for the opening of the 2019-20 domestic football season and also the Super Cup will launch the Rustaq stadium officially as a new sports complex which is run by the Ministry of Sports Affairs. The 16th edition of the Super Cup match will kick-off at 6.45 pm under auspices of Shaikh Saad bin Mohammed al Saadi, Minister of Sports Affairs, in presence of Salim al Wahaibi, Chairman of Oman Football Association (OFA), officials of the ministry and OFA and dignitaries. Both the teams had geared up for the season-opening clash through internal and external camps. Salalah giants Dhofar has bolstered their ammunition ahead of the new season. The defending league champions added many new faces including national team players Said al Ruzaiqi, who came from Saudi Arabia’s Al Taie club, Abdulaziz al Maqbali, Fayez al Rushaidi and Raed Ibrahim. The three-time Super cup winners will look for the fourth title and get on par with Al Oruba, who are topping the list of Super Cup wins with four titles. Dhofar had played in the friendly tournament as part of Salalah tourism festival and had an overseas camp in Egypt. On the other hand, Sur will look to lift the first Super Cup. Sur had won the coveted HM’s Cup after beating Fanja in the final match. The Sharqiyah Governorate club was relegated last season from the top-tier league and will play among the first division league clubs. Experienced national coach Mohammed Khamis al Oraimi, former assistant coach of the national Olympic team, will lead the Sur team in the Super Cup. Al Oraimi had successfully taken over the team by winning the HM Cup final. TOP STARs return Tunisian Yamen al Zulfani, head coach of Dhofar, stated that the team is ready for the match. “We are ready for the Super cup match through intensive training preparations. The warm-up camp in Egypt was very essential as we played many friendlies. Many team players are back after they completed their tasks with the national team. They will add good strength to the team,” Al Zulfani said at the press conference at Seeb Stadium on Thursday. “Our aim is to register a good start to the season by lifting the Super Cup. Definitely, winning the Super Cup will give an advantage to the players to perform better in the upcoming matches at the league,” the Tunisian coach added. Sur head coach Mohammed al Oraimi, said this match is crucial for the team for the upcoming matches. “We have to be back to our original position among the top tier clubs at Omantel league next season. Dhofar have many experienced players in the team. However, Sur players completed their preparations and we are ready for the match. We have opted a mix of players from the first team, Olympic team and have signed contracts with foreign players. We are looking forward to the players for top technical performance in the match and register our first Super Cup triumph,” Al Oraimi said. The new Rustaq Sports Complex is an addition to the sports complex in the Sultanate. The football yard accommodates more than 17,000 fans. Beside to the soccer green field, many facilities and play grounds are attached to the complex including hockey outdoor stadium, tennis courts, Olympic swimming pools, indoor hall and administration building. SPECIAL prizes The officials at OFA have completed all the preparation for the Super Cup. The doors of the complex will be opened early enough prior to the match kick-off. The OFA will arrange some surprises for the spectators who will attend the match. Many valuable prizes will be distributed including a sedan car, smartphones and other awards.