Sunday 08 / June / 2025
Muscat: Having already booked their place in the 2019 Asian Cup, Oman are hoping to end their qualifying campaign as group toppers with a victory over visiting Palestine on Tuesday.
The final match of Group D is scheduled to be played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (SQSC) from 7.00 p.m.
Speaking on the eve of the match, Oman team’s Dutch coach Pim Verbeek has urged the home fans turn up in large numbers and show their support as his wards will try to win the match and top the group.
Palestine, who have also clinched their berth in the Asian Cup, currently lead the group by three points from Oman after securing a 2-1 win back in June, 2017.
And according to news posted on the AFC website, Verbeek is keen to avenge that defeat and take first place ahead of the tournament draw in Dubai on May 4.
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“Our preparations have been good ahead of the game against Palestine, which is a match that means a lot to us,” Verbeek said.
“We are looking forward to winning the match so that we can climb to the top of the group. This is important for us.
“I hope that our fans will support us in big numbers as they always play an important role in motivating the players to get three important points.”
That defeat at the hands of Palestine is the only blot on Oman’s record in qualifying, with Verbeek’s team picking up home-and-away wins against the Maldives and Bhutan to be certain of their place in the Finals.
Palestine, meanwhile, have a perfect record and the west Asian side will be keen to ensure that carries through to the end of the campaign when they take to the field at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex against the reigning Gul Cup champions.
The team are now under the control of Bolivian coach Julio Cesar Baldivieso, who took over in late 2017 and will be overseeing his first Asian Cup qualifying match after gaining extensive experience in his native South America.
“We have prepared very well for the match against Oman which is very important for us,” said Palestine forward Sameh Maraaba. “We’ve had a new coach since the end of last year and hopefully we are now improving with his new tactics.
“We are looking forward to having a good match against Oman in order to prove that we deserve to be on top of the group and that we deserve to be in the Asian Cup Finals.”
In the other game in the group, the Maldives will entertain Bhutan knowing a draw will secure third place in the standings.
The Indian Ocean islanders, who are under new management after Petar Segrt replaced Australia’s Darren Stewart at the helm, need only a draw to seal third place having previously defeated Bhutan 2-0 in Thimphu.
