By Anuroop A — MUSCAT: Dec. 13: A qualification spot in the Asian Cup 2019 will be the prime target for new Oman national coach Peter Tim Dirk Verbeek. Speaking during his unveiling ceremony at the Oman Football Association (OFA) headquarters in Seeb on Tuesday, the Dutchman, with a 35-year experience in coaching, expressed confidence in meeting the challenges in his first ever assignment in Middle East. “My ambition is to bring Oman to the top of the Asian football. Qualifying for the Asian Cup will be my immediate task,” the former Australia coach said.
Verbeek had signed a two-year contract with Oman from January 2017 to January 2019.
When asked about the challenges ahead in Oman, Verbeek said he is used to such conditions before.
“I am used to such conditions. I had got only six weeks when I prepared Australia but we started with a win against Qatar. So, I am confident of achieving good results. We have three months to the first Asian qualifier,” he said.
The 60-year-old coach said he knows what it means for Oman to win the Gulf Cup.
“I want to repeat what Claude Le Roy did in 2009, winning Gulf Cup again for Oman,” the coach known as Pim Verbeek said.
“The process of finalising the contract with the coach was fairly smooth. Coach Verbrek arrived in Oman on Friday and we agreed the contract by today. It was a smooth process,”Jassim al Shukaili , Second Vice-Chairman of the OFA Board of Directors, said.
Verbeek, who had coached Dutch club Feyenoord in 1989, said he will utilise the upcoming Military World Cup in Oman to know the players standard and skills.
“I will get to know about several of Oman players during the Military World Cup. Other players, we will be holding training camps, and the league will be in action in February.”
“I will be holding a meeting with the Olympic team coach and other junior team coaches. This will help me know the future players for Oman. My aim is to collect full information about the talent pool in Oman, which will reflect in my selection process.”
Talking on achieving positive results for Oman, Verbeek said much depends on fitness and preparation.
“The players should deliver in order to win matches and tournaments. They should be fit and 100 per cent ready for different challenges. As a coach, my jobs is to pick the most suitable players for my plans and tactics,” Verbeek said.
The Dutchman said he will the eleven for the first Asian Cup qualifier in March.
“I think I have sufficient time to evaluate the players during the three months. And I will pick the team for the Asian Cup qualifier.”
“I have experience of playing against many Gulf sides during my stint with South Korea. And I was with Moroccan team at Olympics during the period of Holy Month of Ramadan. So, I know the various situations here. Hopefully, all these experience will help me tackle the many challenges I face in Oman,” Verbeek, who succeeds Spaniard Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, concluded.
Among his major achievements, the Dutch coach helped Australia reach their highest ever position of 14th in the world rankings in September 2009.
In helping Australia qualify for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa and next year’s Asian Cup in Qatar, Verbeek amassed a record of 15 wins, eight draws and four defeats in 27 matches. In Oman, the job marks a return to Asian football for Verbeek, who previously coached South Korea and was an assistant to Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat before succeeding the latter for that country’s top job. The coach will take the proverbial reins in January, after working with the OFA to determine the full team of staff that will be working with him.
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