After an absence of more than six months from indoor hall training sessions, Oman national futsal team will resume the first preparatory camp in mid of September after the pandemic break.
According to the plan which adheres to the precautionary measures and medical protocol set by OFA medical team, all the players will be tested for COVID-19 on September 15 at Badr Al Sama Hospital. After completion of 72 hours from the COVID-19 test, all the players who tested negative can resume the training from ground with full implementation of the medical protocol.
The Sultanate futsal team coached by the national coach Younis al Fahdi is gearing up to take part at the AFC Asian Futsal Championship before end of current year. Turkmenistan expressed their inability to host the event while Kuwait showed their full readiness to stage the championship. It is predicted that the event will be moved once again by a month later and the revised schedule is in December.
The former Seeb captain affirmed previously in statements to Oman Daily Observer the team will have more than ten preparatory games during September and October ahead from the Asian Championship assignment. The friendlies will be against Kuwait, Thailand, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The upcoming stage of the team’s preparation will depend on the domestic camps while the overseas camps may come in later stages. According to coach Younis al Fahdi, the final squad of the team will be announced after completion of the internal camps. He said the number of players will drop from 20 players in the first domestic camp until selecting the top 14 players prior to the tournament.
Oman Futsal team members had trained remotely during the last period through using the “Zoom” application under supervision of coach Ricardo Silva. The Sultanate futsal team’s fitness coach had delivered many sessions since last April. The technical staff focused on maintaining the fitness level of the players besides developing the strength and endurance skills.
The AFC Futsal Championship draw clubbed Oman in Group A besides Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Vietnam. Japan, one of the favourites, are clubbed in Group B alongside Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic and Kuwait. Group C comprised four-time runners-up Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Bahrain and China. Iran, title holders of the last edition, were grouped in Group D alongside Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. The upcoming edition of the Asian Futsal Championship will be the final stage of Fifa Futsal World Cup qualifying. The top five teams at the AFC Asian Futsal Championship will represent the continent at the Fifa Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2020.
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