MUSCAT: The Oman national beach soccer team will discover their road to glory when Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup 2024 official draw will be revealed at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Friday. The draw ceremony will start at 18:30 (Oman time). The Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup will be held from February 15 to 25, 2024.
The Oman team had earned their direct ticket to the prestigious Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup after they had defeated UAE 4-2 in the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2023 in last March in the third-place play-off.
Fifa announced that Oman have been allocated in Pot 3 for the draw besides Spain, USA and Belarus. Hosts UAE are placed in Pot 1 alongside to Brazil, Tahiti and Japan. Pot 2 comprised Italy, Senegal, Portugal and IR Iran teams while Pot 4 featured Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and Egypt teams.
It will be the fifth appearance for Oman’s beach soccer at the top beach soccer event after their attendance in 2011 (Italy), 2015 (Portugal), 2019 (Paraguay) and 2021 (Russia) at the World Cups. Oman players will eye progressing from the group stage for the first time ever as the team did not advance further in all the previous participations.
Coach Talib Hilal’s men's last appearance in official tournaments was in August as the team took part in the second CIS Games in Belarus. Oman beach soccer team had ended their campaign in the fourth place after they had suffered a 7-3 defeat against Russia in the third and fourth play-off. The Sultanate’s team had began their campaign strongly as they defeated Uzbekistan 13-1 in the opener before they had received a 6-3 defeat against Egypt in the following match. In the concluding group game, Oman team players managed to beat world champions Russia 7-4 to secure slot in the semifinals. Oman players had met hosts Belarus in the semis and they had went down 4-0.
The last squad of the team featured from the following probables: Khaid al Araimi, Munthir al Araimi, Yahya al Murikhi, Amjad al Hamdani, Abdullah al Souti, Sami al Balushi, Nouh al Zadjali, Younis al Owaisi, Mishaal al Araimi, Al Yaqdhan al Hindasi, Ahmed al Owaisi and Nouh al Battashi.
It is expected that the coaching staff of the team headed by national experienced coach Talib Hilal in coordination with the national teams committee at OFA will unveil the preparatory programme soon for the team ahead of the World Cup. The programme is likely to feature several friendly matches besides the local and external warm-up camps.
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