Oman gear up for closed friendly match with Lebanon
MUSCAT: The Oman national football team will play a crucial closed-door friendly match against Lebanon on Wednesday at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex as part of their ongoing domestic training camp in preparation for the final round of the Fifa World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers. The match will kick off at 8:00 pm (Oman time). This friendly encounter against Lebanon will serve as a final rehearsal allowing the technical staff to fine-tune the lineup and ensure peak readiness for what promises to be two defining fixtures on the road to the Fifa World Cup 2026.
Oman players during the training camp
Furthermore, the preparatory against Lebanon will mark the second preparatory match for the Red Warriors, following their 4-1 victory over Niger last week. The fixture which arranged at the request of both coaching staffs will take place at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex venue behind closed doors to maintain tactical confidentiality ahead of the critical qualifiers.
Since last Friday, Oman team moved their training sessions at Seeb Stadium, following a the coaching staff decision by head coach Rasheed Jaber and his team to shift from the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. The venue switch has allowed the squad to intensify preparations in a focused environment.
Lebanon match will mark the second preparatory match
Today's match may see the return of key players who missed the first friendly including Al Mundher al Alawi, Essam al Subhi and players from Seeb Club who were absent during the Niger fixture due to club commitments. Their inclusion is expected to provide valuable depth and experience to the squad as final adjustments are made before the competitive matches. The Oman Football Association (OFA) confirmed that goalkeeper Ibrahim al Mukhaini remains sidelined due to a finger injury and will be out for four weeks. Additionally, defender Amjad al Harthy has been ruled out of the upcoming qualifiers after suffering a leg injury based OFA announcement in social media channels of OFA.
Oman gear up for closed friendly match with Lebanon
His absence is a significant setback to the defensive lineup as Oman eyes crucial wins in the last two fixtures. It is expected that the coaching staff will work to provide the alternative player in this position. Meanwhile, Salah al Yahyaei, who is still engaged with his club duties at Al Khalidiya SC in Bahrain, is set to join the national team squad after the Lebanon match, further strengthening the side ahead of the qualifiers.
Oman is currently fourth in their group with ten points from eight matches, trailing leaders South Korea by six points. With matches against Jordan on June 5 in Muscat and Palestine on June 10 in Jordan, the Red Warriors are aiming to build on their recent form and secure a place in the next stage of qualification.
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