Saturday 28 / December / 2024
MUSCAT: Anticipation and hope fill the air at the Oman Football Association (OFA) as they welcome the appointment of new national team coach Jaroslav Silhavy from the Czech Republic.
Following Oman’s recent disappointment at the AFC Asian Cup, OFA officials are confident that Silhavy’s experience and coaching prowess will lead the national team to success.
The 62-year-old Silhavy signed a two-year agreement with the OFA chairman Sheikh Salim Al Wahaibi on Thursday afternoon.
OFA General Secretary Mohammed Al Yahmadi expressed his optimism, and said, “We welcome Jaroslav Silhavy, a very experienced coach from the Czech Republic. He has been the coach of the Czech national team and also got good results with them. We hope he will lead our Red Warriors to victories and bring laurels for the nation.”
Silhavy, only the second coach from the Czech Republic to lead the national team after Milan Macala, is seen as a promising addition.
OFA vice-president Mohsin Al Masroori said, “We are optimistic that the experience Silhavy brings along will be good for the team. We wish him the very best, and we hope to see our national team win matches and advance further in the qualification round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup.”
Macala’s exploits still remembered
Milan Macala, one of the most successful coaches in Oman’s football history, had a notable tenure with the Red Warriors.
During his spells from 2001-2004 and 2006-2007, Macala guided Oman to their maiden AFC Asian Cup appearance in China in 2004. He was also the architect of Oman’s spot in their first Gulf Cup final (2004) and again during his second spell from 2006-2007, he again led Oman to the Gulf Cup final and a spot in the Asian Cup.
The exploits under Macala made him a household name in the Sultanate of Oman and his achievements are still fondly remembered by fans and sports lovers.
Silhavy will aim to follow in Macala’s footsteps, starting with the joint preliminary round two of FIFA World Cup 2026 and 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Silhavy’s appointment comes swiftly after the disappointing AFC Asian Cup campaign and the subsequent departure of Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic.
Silhavy, having managed the Czech national team from 2018-2023, has a solid coaching background, leading the team to the quarter-finals of the 2020 European Championship. As a former Czech national team defender, Silhavy also managed top domestic clubs in his country, including Slovan Liberec and Slavia Prague.
Silhavy will be assisted by his Czech support staff, comprising assistants Jiří Chytrý and Milan Veselý, along with fitness coach Pavel Čvančara.
Oman's joint World Cup and Asian campaign is set to resume in March, with Oman placed in Group D alongside Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, and Chinese Taipei. After a 2-0 win against Chinese Taipei and a surprising 1-0 defeat against Kyrgyzstan, Oman is gearing up for upcoming matches, starting with hosting Malaysia in Muscat on March 21.
The Red Warriors then travel to Kuala Lumpur to face the hosts on March 26, with subsequent matches against Chinese Taipei and Kyrgyzstan in June to conclude their campaign. As of now, Malaysia leads the group with six points, while Oman and Kyrgyzstan have three points each, with Oman placed second on a better goal difference.
