Oman are placed in Group B for the Asian Under-16 Football Championship to be held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur in September. The Sultanate’s team are clubbed along with Yemen, DPR Korea and Jordan for the event scheduled to be held in September, it was announced at the official draw ceremony held yesterday.
The 16 participating teams are clustered into four groups.
Defending champions Iraq will play in Group D comprising Australia, Korea Republic and Afghanistan. Japan, Thailand and Tajikistan are placed in Group A along with Malaysia, the host nation. Iran, who finished as the runner up in last edition in India, will face off against Vietnam, India and Indonesia in Group C. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the next round. Also, the teams who will reach the semifinals will secure the chairs in the U-16 World Cup.
The Oman National (U-16) football team secured the berth in the Asian Cup after they finished second in the Group B in Asian Qualification with six points. The Oman U-16 team had thrashed Maldives and Syria 8-0 and 6-0 respectively and suffered a 1-0 defeat to Tajikistan.
The Oman U-16 team are continuing their external camp in Tajikistan in preparation for the Asian Cup in Malaysia in coming September. The Oman U-16 team will face off Tajikistan today in the second friendly match in the camp. Oman had lost their first friendly match against Tajikistan team 1-0.
Head coach of Oman national team, Yaqoob al Sabahi, has selected the best players from the league after an evaluation of their technical and physical performance during the last internal camps and last rounds of league.
Squad: Maitham al Ajmi (Al Etihad), Abdullah al Alawi (Yanqul), Qusai al Jaradi, Mountaser al Zadjali, Harib al Adawi, Osama al Hadabi (Seeb), Essa al Naabi (Muscat), Mulham al Sunaidi (Ahli Sidab), Al Azhar al Balushi, Abdullah al Faliti, Abdul Hakim al Owaisi, Nasser al Na’abi, Muayad al Subhi (Al Shabab), Mohammed al Balushi, (Al Suwaiq), Omar al Salti, Hamad al Mukhaini (Al Oruba), Fahd al Rasabi (Al Kamil W’al Wafi), Tareq al Moashri (Jaalan), Dawood al Abri (Samayil) Suliman al Mazroui (Al Salam), Firas al Suri (Dhofar) Rashad al Habsi (Al Nasr)
The draw:
Group A: Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Tajikistan.
Group B: DPR Korea, Oman, Yemen, Jordan
Group C: Iran, Vietnam, India, Indonesia
Group D: Iraq, Korea REP, Australia, Afghanistan
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