Oman shifts into high gear for Asian World Cup playoff run

Oman Names 25-Player Squad for Asian Playoffs

The Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz has named a 25-man squad to represent the Reds in the opening group of the Asian playoff qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The qualifiers will be staged in Qatar, where Oman will face Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on October 8 and 11 respectively.

Among the squad are Ibrahim Al-Mukhini, Fayez Al-Rashidi, Bilal Al-Balushi, Musab Al-Shaqsi, Khalid Al-Breiki, Mahmood Al-Moshifri, Ahmed Al-Kh Moor, Naif Bait Sibih, Amjad Al-Harthi, Than Al-Rashidi, Ghanem Al-Habshi, Ali Al-Bousaidi, Sultan Al-Marzouqi, Ahed Al-Mushaikhi, Harb Al-Saadi, Arshad Al-Alawi, Abdullah Fawaz, Zahir Al-Aghbari, Jamil Al-Yahmadi, Abdul Rahman Al-Mushifri, Mohsen Al-Ghasani, Nasser Al-Rawahi, Salah Al-Yyahai, Mohammed Al-Ghafri, and Issam Al-Sobhi.

Oman’s preparations entered the fourth phase of the current camp in Muscat yesterday and will continue through October 11.

The group winner will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, while the second-placed team advances to the global playoff rounds.

The Reds will travel to Qatar on October 6 as part of their build-up for the matches at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, a venue that seats around 14,000 spectators.

Oman will conduct a single training session in Doha prior to facing host Qatar in the opening playoff game on the upcoming Wednesday.

Harb Al-Saadi will miss the opener due to suspension after a red card against Palestine in the final round of the Asian qualifiers; however, he is expected to be available for the October 11 clash with the UAE.

The coaching staff was pleased with the recovery of Amjad Al-Harthi, Salah Yahyai, and Arshad Al-Alawi from recent injuries.

Ticket sales for the Qatar and UAE matches were bolstered by the Omani fans, with a total around 5,800 tickets purchased. Of these, 1,000 are allocated for the Qatar game, with 250 of them earmarked for the newly formed association and 800 for the fans.

As part of the “We Are All Behind You” campaign, the Oman Football Association announced a collaboration with Vizit Oman to launch an online ticket-booking platform for national team matches in the Asian play-offs, supporting the Reds on their road to Qatar 2026.