Oman will aim for a victorious conclusion against Kyrgyzstan in the final Group D match of the Preliminary Joint Qualification for the Fifa World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 on Tuesday. The game is set to start at 8:00 pm at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
The Red Warriors have already secured their spot in the next phase of the joint qualifiers with a 3-0 victory over Chinese Taipei, while Kyrgyzstan and Malaysia played to a 1-1 draw. A win in Tuesday's match is crucial for the national team as it would ensure the top spot in the group and a total of 15 points.
Jaroslav Silhavy, Oman’s head coach, expressed confidence in the team's eagerness to claim the win. “This is a challenging match in the group, and a victory would confirm Oman as group winners. We are determined to win this important match and dedicate the triumph to our loyal fans in a home game before Eid Al
Adha,” he stated.
Our main objective is to secure three points despite the outcome of the previous match in Bishkek city. All players are in excellent condition except for Waleed al Musallami, who had a separate training session. As a coaching staff, we carefully analyzed Kyrgyzstan's game against Malaysia and identified key areas of weakness that our players will focus on," stated the Czech coach.
In response to a question about the team's guaranteed qualification and the possibility of changes in the starting line-up, coach Silhavy stated: "This match is crucial, and we aim to maintain our winning streak. Making significant changes to the starting line-up could have an impact on the team. However, we are open to introducing new players, and there may be alterations to the squad once we have the necessary confidence," he concluded.
The Czech coach emphasized that the upcoming round of qualifiers will pose a significant challenge and will be distinct from the current round. He stressed the importance of the team's preparedness at a very high level. Expressing confidence in the squad, he mentioned that the primary objective is to enhance Oman's football.
The first leg match between the teams concluded with a 1-0 victory for Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek back in November last year.
Oman captain Mohammed al Musallami highlighted the significance of the upcoming match for the team. He emphasized that this match will determine the group leader and the players are determined to secure a victory to bring joy to the fans.
He also mentioned that Oman fans have always shown unwavering support, especially during challenging times, and expressed certainty that they will show up in numbers to back the team during this crucial game.
In the previous round, Kyrgyzstan played to a 1-1 draw against Malaysia.
On the flip side, Stefan Tarkovic, the coach of Kyrgyzstan, expressed determination for the team to secure advancement. "Our primary objective is to progress to the next round. We will exert all efforts to achieve this goal and we have nothing to lose," he stated.
"All the players who have arrived in Oman are in excellent physical condition and prepared to showcase a top-notch performance. Our focus remains on winning the game, regardless of the outcome of the match between Chinese Taipei and Malaysia that precedes ours," he concluded.
Kyrgyzstan player Valeriy Kichin highlighted the challenging weather conditions as a significant obstacle. "Both teams will face difficulties due to the weather, but the players from Oman are more accustomed to this climate. Nevertheless, we will work together as a team to overcome this challenge," he remarked.
