The President of the Omani Federation confirms support for Iraq’s bid to host “Gulf 28” and the coaches of Oman and Iraq talk about the challenges of the tournament

Suleiman bin Ali Al Busaidi, President of the Omani Football Association, confirmed that the Sultanate of Oman’s hosting of the Gulf Cup Championship will come at the appropriate time, indicating his country’s support for Iraq’s bid to host the next edition of the tournament.

In response to Asharq Al-Awsat’s question about Oman not hosting the Gulf Cup since 2009? Al-Busaidi said: “God willing, the hosting will come on time, and this is what I promise you. “There will be hosting, and we will announce it at the appropriate time.”

Regarding the possibility of hosting the next edition, he explained: “The next edition may not be in Oman, but we may consider hosting the next edition, God willing.”

The President of the Omani Federation confirmed Iraq’s support for hosting “Gulf 28,” saying: “We certainly support the Iraqi file, and Iraq is a country that previously organized the tournament and succeeded in it.”

Regarding the city that could host the tournament, whether Basra or Baghdad, he said: “This matter remains an option for Iraq itself.”

Regarding the possibility of Iraq hosting two successive editions, Al Busaidi explained: “This depends on the brothers in the Gulf Union according to the agreement, and as far as I know, it may be the next edition, but as for the other, I do not know, and I think it will be difficult.”

Moroccan Tariq Al-Saktiwi, coach of the Omani national team, confirmed his team’s commitment to the opportunity to qualify for the semi-finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup “Gulf 27”, noting that facing Kuwait represents an important milestone within the national team’s goals in the short and long term.

Al-Saktiwi said, during the press conference preceding the confrontation: “A very important match for us, and as long as there is hope of qualifying, we will work on it 100 percent.” We have short-term and long-term goals, and facing tomorrow is important to achieve one of the goals that will help us in the future.”

The Oman coach returned to talking about the loss to the Saudi team, saying: “In the match against Saudi Arabia, the result was harsh considering the effort we made. I am a man loyal to my work, and I want to serve the Oman national team in the way that serves it in the future. Our circumstances are different from previous participations, and we have absences, injuries and circumstances that made our participation less than expected.”

Al-Saktiwi explained that the team entered the tournament according to a clear vision, adding: “We came to the tournament with a clear plan, which is to appear well, to live up to the expectations of the fans, and for this participation to be a reason for development. We entered the tournament after playing only three league matches, in addition to the major injuries we faced.”

For his part, Abdul Hafez Al-Mukhaini, the Omani national team player, affirmed his understanding of the aspirations of the fans, pointing out that the young players need time to develop and gain experience.

Al-Mukhaini said: “The Omani people demand the best from the national team, and this is normal. For us as young players, we have a great coach, and any young player needs time to learn, develop and gain the trust of the coaches.”

Australian Graham Arnold, coach of the Iraqi national team, confirmed his team's readiness to face the Saudi national team, noting that the technical staff analyzed the "Green" way of playing and knew its strengths, while Ibrahim Bayesh stressed the players' desire to achieve the three points and finish the group stage in the lead.

Arnold said, during the press conference preceding the confrontation: “We analyzed the way the Saudi team plays, and we know how they play, and we have previously faced each other. We like to play in different ways, and we have a good dynamic. The pressure will be high on us on the field, but we will give the best performance possible. We were happy with what we showed against Kuwait, and we have to play with positivity and strength.”

Regarding his own preparations to face Saudi Arabia, he said: “We have made all the important preparations in order to qualify. We deal with this match in a specific way, as we do in any confrontation, and we analyze the capabilities of the opposing team. There is no easy match, and we will face a strong team capable of victory, and this is what awaits us against Saudi Arabia.”

The Australian coach stressed that playing against the Saudi national team at home represents a challenge for his team, and said: “The Saudi national team has many strong players and is good at pressing well, and playing against them at home is difficult for us. We worked on the mental aspect, and we are ready for this challenge.”

He added: “We have previously faced the Saudi national team, and they have a strong team that includes a number of the best players in Asia. We deal with each team in a different way, and I previously played in Saudi Arabia and have a number of friends here, and I expect an enjoyable confrontation worthy of the two teams.”

Regarding the pressures associated with participating with the Iraqi national team, Arnold said: “We are playing for our country, and we do not feel pressure about that. In Iraq, they always provide the best support to the national team, and we want to make them happy. The fans stand behind these positive results, and we are playing for them, and I love the Iraqi culture in football.”

For his part, Ibrahim Bayesh, the Iraqi national team player, welcomed the audience, saying: “I welcome you to my second country, Saudi Arabia. We are working towards victory, and we are ready for the confrontation to achieve victory and lead the group.”

He added: “The players are determined to top the group and achieve the three points, and what the coach asks of us, we will work to implement on the field.”

Bayesh talked about his previous experience in Saudi Arabia, saying: “I am proud that I played in the Saudi League, and witnessed the kindness, generosity and kindness in this country. Tomorrow will be a big confrontation between the two sides, and whoever makes the least mistakes will win. We want to win and take the lead in the group.”

Regarding dealing with pressure and social media platforms, he said: “As a professional player, you must know how to deal with social media platforms. In tournaments like this, I don't like to follow these sites. We are capable of facing any team in the world, and our ambition is to be among the top 3 teams in Asia.”