MUSCAT, Nov 23 - Oman national team arrived in Doha on Saturday to commence latest technical preparations for their opening match at Arabian Gulf Cup against Bahrain on Wednesday at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Al Duhail. The Sultanate football delegation received a rousing welcome reception at the Hamed International Airport from the officials at the organising committee. Oman is the third team to reach Qatar after Yemen and Iraq who arrived earlier while on Sunday the rest of the teams will arrive including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE.

Under the watchful eyes of coach Erwin Koeman and his assistant Muhanna Said, Oman team concluded their short domestic camp in Muscat on a successful note on Friday and will continue their first warm up sessions on Saturday in Doha prior to the Bahrain match. The ‘Red Warriors’ players will have four training sessions until Bahrain match kicks off at 6:30 (Oman timing) at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday. Oman team players registered two recent wins against Bangladesh and India in the last few days at the joint qualification of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup 2023. The World Cup qualification matches have helped the ‘Red Warriors’ to shape their readiness for the prestigious tournament which is expected to be a tough competition as all the teams are ready and equipped to compete on the title of the Gulf Cup.

The Dutchman will focus in the upcoming days to select the starting list of Bahrain match and to increase the physical and fitness aspects. The national team is living one of the best moments as most of the players had many continental games and the domestic season is going on. The players are on a high physical level which can support the ‘Red Warriors’ to register their first victory in the opening match. The technical staff of the team are aware on the importance of registering the winning result in the first round of the tournament to go with high spirit in the later group games.

After winning the 19th and the last edition of the Gulf Cup in Kuwait in January 2018, Oman fans’ expectations level has gone up to claim the third title and to be rated as the best team in the GCC region.

On the other hand, the Portuguese coach, Helio Souza has announced Bahrain squad which included the following players: Ismail Abdullatif, Walid Alhayam, Sayyed Mohammed Jafar, Rashed al Houti, Thiago Vizandandez, Mohammed Yusuf Hardan, Sayyed Reda Issa, Ali Abdullah Haram, Mehdi Baqer, Ahmed Mubarak Bogmar, Kamil al Aswad, Al Shibr Hashim, Ali Jafar Mo’adhen, Ahmed Nabil Ghilan, Abdulwahab al Maloud, Abdullah Al Hazaa, Mohamed Abdulwahab Shaaban, Mohammed al Rumaihi, Hamad al Dossari, Jassim al Sheikh, Mohamed Jassim Marhoon, Mehdi Humaidan and Sayyid Zia Saeed.

In the same group, The top Gulf Cup winner Kuwait will take on Saudi Arabia in the same Group B matches. The ‘Red Warriors’ will meet Kuwait on November 30 while the last match at group stage will be against Saudi Arabia on December 2.

Koeman, the national team head coach, announced the squad of the team which was picked by him.

Oman squad: Fayez al Rushaidi, Ahmed al Rawahi, Ibrahim al Mukhaini, Ali al Busaidi, Abdulsalam Amer al Mukhaini, Mohammed al Musallami, Ahmed Khalifa al Kaabi, Abdul Aziz al Gheilani, Saad Suhail al Mukhaini, Fahmi Said, Mohammed Faraj al Rawahi, Imran al Heidi, Al Mundher al Alawi, Harib al Saadi, Zaher al Aghbari, Ahmad Mubarak, Arshad al Alawi, Mohammed Mubarak al Ghafri, Mohsin Jawhar al Khaldi, Yassin al Sheyadi, Said al Ruzaiqi, Abdul Aziz al Moqbali and Mohsin al Ghassani.