Reigning champions Oman arrived in Doha for the Gulf Cup yesterday. The delegation is headed by Sheikh Salim bin Saeed al-Wahaibi, president of the Oman Football Association and included officials of the federation.
The squad was given a warm welcome by the Qatar Football Association officials at the Hamad International Airport. Oman are placed in Group B along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. They play their first match against Bahrain at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday. Oman won a second title a penalty shootout victory over UAE in 2017.
Oman Squad: Fayez al-Rashidi, Ahmed al-Rawahi, Ibrahim al-Mukhaini, Mohamed Musallamy, Ali Busaidi, Abdulsalam Amer al-Mukhaini, Abdul Aziz al-Ghailani, Ahmed Khalifaal-Kaabi, Saad Suhail al-Mukhaini, Fahmi Saeed Durbin, Imran al-Haidi, Mohamed Faraj al-Rawahi, Al Mundhir Rabi al-Alawi, Harib al-Saadi, Zaher Sulaiman al-Aghbari, Mohamed Mubarak al-Ghafri, Ahmad Mubarak, Arshadal-Alawi, Mohsen Jawhar al-Khaldi, Yassin al-Shayadi, Mohsen Ghassani, Saeed al-Ruzaiqi, Abdul Aziz al-Muqbali
We are determined to do well: Yemen’s al-Matari
Striker Abdul Wasi al-Matari says Yemen are determined to go past the group stage in the Gulf Cup. In eight attempts so far, Yemen has failed to clear the first hurdle but al-Matari is hopeful that they can break the duck this time.
The Al Nahda striker arrived in Doha with his teammates on Wednesday, and has been training at the Qatar University stadium.
“We are keen to put our best foot forward. Participating in the Gulf Cup is a prestigious thing. We know this is an exceptional championship, with all eyes of the GCC on the tournament. We are excited as well as determined to show our quality,” he said.
Yemen has participated in eight editions of the Gulf Cup, starting from 2003.
Yemen’s first match is against the UAE on Wednesday, before it takes on Qatar on November 29 and Iraq on December 2.
