Facing upcoming Round of 12 opponent Oman, our men's soccer team's schedule looks complicated and volatile. The Omani team, which was scheduled to play a warm-up match against the Syrian national team in Muscat, is now facing an unexpected situation. Earlier this week, Syria's head coach Mahrous made it clear that his team would not be able to play this scheduled warm-up match against Oman. Now, Oman
soccer league
are urgently looking for new warm-up opponents.
On October 12, Oman defeated Vietnam 3-1 in their home match to earn their second victory in the 12-team tournament. The national team was then disbanded and the players returned to their respective clubs to prepare for the new season of the Omani Domestic League, which kicked off in full swing on October 16 with 14 top clubs competing in the tournament. As of yesterday (26), the third round of the Omani league was underway, with Nasr leading the standings with three wins in three matches, followed by Sibu and Dofal with two wins and a draw.
Omani
soccer league
are actively preparing for the league, with the fourth round of matches scheduled for October 30 and 31, followed by a break until November 24, when the fifth round of fixtures will resume. The Omani national team, meanwhile, will also regroup on Nov. 1 to make final preparations for the two Round of 12 matches in November.
Oman national team head coach Ivankovic's plan is for the team to assemble for a short domestic training session before organizing an international warm-up match on November 5th. After the completion of the warm-up match, the team will leave for China to prepare for the away match on November 11th. However, a piece of good news has come in that the Chinese team may not be able to play the match at home, opting instead to play it in West Asia, which will undoubtedly relieve the Omani team of the drudgery of the long journey and the discomfort caused by jet lag. Whether traveling to Doha or the UAE, it will be advantageous for the Omani team. Moreover, it is possible to drive directly from Oman to the UAE and back without having to take a flight. During the epidemic, the only flights from Muscat to Dubai or Sharjah were night flights, which was not favorable for the players' rest. The weather conditions in Oman and the UAE are basically the same and the players are more acclimatized. Therefore, Oman
soccer league
and the Nationals were "delighted" by the news.
Not only that, but Oman is also facing another good news: after the away match against China, the team will directly return home to host Japan. Therefore, it is also in Oman's interest to return to Muscat from the UAE to prepare for the match against Japan. The Omani side was satisfied to learn that the Chinese team might not be able to play the match at home.
However, a negative side has also emerged: the Syrian side canceled its original plan to play a warm-up match against Oman. Originally, Syria's head coach Mahrous had planned to organize a warm-up match before the November match as he did before preparing for the Top 12 in October. The Omani team also expected a warm-up match, so the two sides decided early on the time and venue of the match, which was to be held on Nov. 5 in Muscat, Oman. Considering that the Syrian team will then face Iraq on the road on November 11, it was more convenient to choose to set up a training camp in Oman and then travel from Oman to Doha.
But due to the recent major changes in the Syrian soccer scene, the entire Syrian
soccer league
Management has all but resigned and head coach Machlus was nearly fired. The newly formed "
soccer league
The "Transition Committee", after two meetings with Mahrous, decided to continue to support him, and Mahrous adjusted his preparation plan accordingly, deciding to cancel the warm-up match with Oman. The reason given by Mahrous was that the organization of the warm-up match was of little significance as many overseas players would not arrive at the team until November 7 at the earliest and would not be able to catch up with the warm-up match on November 5 at all. It is reported that the Syrian team has changed its original plan to train overseas in Oman to train domestically in Damascus and then go directly to Doha to prepare for the match with Iraq.
Omani
soccer league
After receiving Syria's
soccer league
Following the news of the cancellation of the planned warm-up match, it is claimed that a contingency plan has been quickly activated and that new warm-up opponents are now being actively contacted in the hope of allowing the Omani national team to play a warm-up match on Nov. 5 as originally planned and to keep the players in shape in the domestic league until the away challenge against the Chinese team. No further news has been announced yet.
