MUSCAT: Oman made history on Saturday night, defeating Kazakhstan 2-1 in a dramatic penalty shootout to secure the Socca World Cup 2024 title.
The thrilling final, held at the Sports Makers Stadium at the Oman Automobile Association (OAA), saw Oman become the first Arabian team to win this prestigious global title, cementing their place in the annals of Omani sports history. Croatia claimed the bronze medal after a 2-0 victory over Romania in the third-place playoff.
The match started with Oman taking the lead in the 21st minute. Mutasim al Shamsi doubled the advantage in the 29th minute, but Kazakhstan's Olzhas Taibassarov responded with a goal in the 38th minute, reducing the deficit.
Oman's path to the final was far from easy. In the Round of 16, they triumphed 2-1 over Hungary. They then defeated Albania 2-1 in the quarterfinals and secured their spot in the final with a 3-1 win over Romania in the semifinals. Oman topped Group A with a perfect 12 points from four matches, starting their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Italy, followed by a 1-0 win over the USA, a 3-1 victory over Canada, and a 1-0 defeat of Qatar in their final group match.
Oman's Mutasim al Shamsi was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, while Norbert Jaszczak from Poland took home the Top Scorer award, having netted eight goals. Romania's Aleandru Samolia earned the Best Goalkeeper award for his outstanding performances throughout the tournament.
Following the final match, HH Sayyid Dr Kamil bin Fahd bin Mahmood al Said, Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, the chief guest, presented the trophies and awards to the individual players and top three teams. The ceremony was attended by Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth, as well as other dignitaries and invitees.
In a statement after the event, Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas congratulated the Omani team on their historic victory: "Congratulations to the Oman team for winning the Socca World Cup 2024. This victory reflects the dedication and hard work of the coaching staff and players. I would also like to thank Sports Makers for their excellent organisation of this event, which has been a year in the making. Oman has great examples of successful youth who can deliver top-tier events, and they deserve our support to organise even more such events in the future. We are committed to bringing more sporting events to Oman in the coming years."
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