Doha, Qatar: Oman still have an outside chance of reaching the FIFA Arab Cup quarter-finals as they take on already-eliminated Comoros at Stadium 974 today in their final Group B match, with head coach Carlos Queiroz insisting his team remains very much alive in the tournament.
The Gulf side must beat Comoros by a big margin and hope already-qualified Saudi Arabia defeat Morocco, with the two Group B matches kicking off simultaneously - the latter at Lusail Stadium.
Saudi Arabia, who secured qualification with two consecutive victories, lead the group, followed by Morocco on four points. After losing their opener to the Saudis, Oman held Morocco to earn a point, and Queiroz said his team has only one target now: to win against Comoros.“I have told my players the tournament is not over yet,” the veteran Portuguese tactician said at a press conference yesterday. “Anything is possible in football.”
Queiroz, however, cautioned his squad about the challenge ahead.
“Comoros are a strong side, and the results of their previous matches don’t reflect their true quality. If we want to secure the three points, we must be at our best,” he said.
“I also hope the other match will be a tough and evenly contested affair, as Saudi Arabia will be aiming for victory and Morocco will be trying to win as well.”
Comoros, though impressive in phases against both Morocco and Saudi Arabia, ended up losing their opening two matches.
Coach Hamada Jambay had no complaints about his players, saying the team must enjoy their final group game and maintain a strong sporting spirit.
“We have a very young team, and I am proud that we in the technical staff are working on building and developing the players and guiding them toward the first team, so they can continue progressing in their journey,” he said.
Jambay also praised the level of competition and Qatar’s organisation of the tournament.
“The tournament is strong and the level of competition has risen. The organisation has been excellent and frankly, the tournament has been fantastic in every way,” he added.
Both Group B matches will kick off at 8pm.
