Oman prepare for AFC U-16 tourney with friendlies against Japan
MUSCAT: The Japan Under-16 football team is scheduled to play two friendly games against the Oman Under-16 national team, according to information received from the Oman Football Association on Monday.
The friendlies are part of the training camp scheduled for Japan and also the ongoing Oman Under-16 camp under the guidance of coach Yaquob Al Sabaahi.
Oman is preparing for the AFC Under-16 Championship to be held in India from September 13 to October 2. Tha Japanese outfit will play two matches against Oman, on July 13 and July 17 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. The kick-off time for both games will be 7.15pm.
It turned out to be something of a dramatic passage to India for Oman, who went from Group B winners at the end of the last September’s qualifiers to scraping in as the fifth and final of the best runners-up following Nepal’s disqualification from the competition a month later for fielding an ineligible player.
Oman, under-16 champions in 1996 and 2000, had finished top of the table after victories over Group B hosts Kyrgyzstan (2-0) and Nepal (3-1) either side of a 2-0 loss to Jordan.
But with Nepal forfeiting their matches 3-0, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, and Jordan all finished level on six points, with the Sultanate’s goal difference inferior to the group hosts but slightly better than third-placed Jordan as the Omanis advanced alongside table-topping Kyrgyzstan.
In the Asian U-16, Oman has been grouped with South Korea, Malaysia and Iraq and will open campaign with a match against Malaysia on September 16.
Oman plays South Korea on September 19 and Iraq on September 22. The Japan U-16 team, who also takes part in the Asian tournament will arrive on Tuesday. Japan is grouped with Australia, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan.
U-22 camp
Meanwhile, the Oman Olympic team (Under-22) under coach Hamad Al Azzani is all set to have a camp in Muscat from Wednesday to July 20. Hamad has selected a list of 26 players for the camp and the players who will attend the camp are as follows: Ibrahim Mukhaini, Thuwaini Al Mukhaini, Abdulhadi Al Hajiry, Aiman Haitham, Abdullah Al Mashaikhi, Ahmed Al Araimi, Salah Al Yahy- aei, Zahir Al Aghbari, Al Muntasir Al Riyami, Ihad Al Balushi, Salim Al Siyabi, Ahmed Al Khamisi, Haitham Al Muqaini, Mohammed Al Yahmadi, Amar Al Shiyadi, Mohsin Al Ghassani, Dakheel Yahmadi, Ammar Al Rusheidi, Asa’ad Al Awaadi, Talal Al Awaadi, Omaran Heedi, Ali Al Hinai, Faisal Al Busaidi, Yousuf Al Ghaafri, Bakheet Fadil, Hussain Ali.
In the AFC U-16 Championship hosted by India, Oman has been grouped with South Korea, Malaysia and Iraq and will open campaign with a match against Malaysia on September 16
OPL meeting
The Oman Professional League officials are set to have a meeting on Tuesday night at the Oman Football Association headquarters.
The meeting will be chaired by Saleh Al Farsi, head of the Competitions Committee of the OPL.
The meeting will also be attended by other members of the committee.
The agenda for discussion pans the schedule of the coming season, the guidelines for the organization and running of the tournament as well as changing the criteria for identification of foreign nationals in order to accommodate players from GCC Countries to play as locals.
The OPL will likely schedule the start of the coming 2016-17 season on September 17.