Muscat: Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth, welcomed Oman’s national football team, led by Salim bin Said al Wahaibi, President of the Oman Football Association, at Muscat International Airport's VIP lounge.
Al Rawas in his speech praised the team's exceptional performance, saying: “The performance was outstanding, and I hope the team will continue the same dedication and fighting spirit in the games ahead. We always aspire for distinguished performances, and during the Gulf Cup, you delivered remarkable results, reaching the finals. The fans have greatly commended your outstanding display.”
He conveyed the greetings of His Highness, who followed the team’s achievements closely, stating: “We hope you maintain this level in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, which is the most significant milestone ahead. We are confident that with your high spirits and efforts, you can achieve the aspirations of the fans.”
He concluded his remarks saying: “Thank you all. You were true champions in this tournament, and we look forward to seeing even more from you. I also want to extend my gratitude to the loyal fans, who were your greatest support throughout the tournament. They were a shining example of civilised encouragement.”
National coach Rashid Jaber expressed his immense pride in leading the group of exceptional players, saying: “I am very proud to be the coach, who exerted tremendous efforts and made significant sacrifices during the tournament. You demonstrated great discipline and genuine passion to achieve success.”
He also added: “We must believe in ourselves and our abilities. We are no less than any other team. Throughout the tournament, we played five very challenging matches against strong teams, including the host nation, the Asian champion, and other favourites like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In all these games, you proved to be the best on the field.”
About the final match, he said: “Against Bahrain, we were the better side for most of the match, but minor details led to our loss. Nevertheless, I tell you to hold your heads high and be proud of what you’ve achieved. You’ve shown that you are a team capable of competing at the highest levels, and I am extremely proud to coach such an exceptional group of players.”
The coach concluded his remarks with a message to the players and fans: “We must continue to work hard and remain committed because the road ahead demands even greater effort. I also thank the fans, who were our biggest supporters, and their presence proved to be a strong motivation in every match.”
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
