Wednesday 25 / December / 2024
Muscat: All eyes will be on the highly anticipated opening match of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup tomorrow, where Oman's national football team faces Kuwait in the group stage at 9 PM Oman time at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City.
The match will be preceded by the tournament's official opening ceremony at 8 PM Oman time, featuring various segments and the latest in sound and lighting effects.
Oman understands that winning tomorrow's match and securing three points is key to a strong start. The tournament also includes a match between Qatar and the UAE at 11 PM Oman time at Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Stadium.
Oman's coach, Rasheed Jaber, stated, "Our preparations for the Gulf Cup, a very important event for us, have been thorough. Our primary goal is to advance from the group stage. We understand the difficulty of the matches, as all teams are competing with their best squads for the title. We are also preparing for the upcoming Asian qualifiers."
He added, "The Gulf Cup has its own unique atmosphere. The Kuwaiti team has prepared well, and they have the advantage of playing at home in front of their fans. Opening matches always have different dynamics. While pressure is always a factor in football, we arrive with great ambition and aim to win this first match."
Jaber emphasized the importance of performing at their best in every match, focusing on improvement and learning from any mistakes.
Oman's player, Mohammed Al-Musalmi, stated that opening matches are always challenging. "We are ready to play against Kuwait. This is a special match, especially given that Kuwait is playing at home. We will deal with any pressure positively. Our goal in every match is to improve our performance and play well," he said.
Kuwait's Argentinian coach, Juan Bentzi, expressed optimism for the Gulf Cup, noting their successful three-week training camp in Doha. "We are happy with the team's level in the preparation matches. We will compete in all matches, but we are aware of the difficulty of this opening match against Oman."
He added, "Hosting the tournament in Kuwait is not a pressure but a great motivation. We know the Kuwaiti fans will support us enthusiastically, and we will use that energy to our advantage and show we are ready to compete at our best. In the camp, we focused on both defensive and offensive aspects to be competitive against strong teams in the tournament."
The match will be officiated by Saudi international referee Khaled Al-Turais, assisted by fellow Saudis Mohammed Al-Abkari and Abdulrahim Al-Shammari as linesmen, Bahraini Amar Mahfoodh as the fourth referee, and Saudi Abdullah Al-Shahri and Japan's Aida Gumbi handling VAR.
Oman will conduct their final training session this evening at Khaitan Stadium, finalizing the starting lineup and tactical drills. Historically, in Gulf Cup matches between the two teams, Kuwait has won 9 of 19 encounters, Oman has won 5, and 5 have ended in draws. Kuwait has scored 34 goals to Oman's 16.
Key changes:
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