Tuesday 15 / September / 2026
Muscat: The 27th Gulf Cup football tournament, scheduled to kick off next week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, holds significant importance for the Gulf national teams, who aspire to perform admirably, reach the final stages, and compete for the title.
The tournament represents a crucial milestone for our national football team, which hopes to achieve positive results and add a third title to its record, following its victories in the 2009 edition in Muscat and the 2017 edition in Kuwait.
In this regard, media personality Khamis Al-Balushi emphasized that the Gulf Cup is a vital milestone, making participation with the first team essential, especially as it precedes the Asian Cup in January.
He pointed out that our national team has achieved the best results and rankings in the tournament since the two-group system was implemented in the 17th Gulf Cup in Doha, thus remaining a contender in every participation.
He added that the 27th Gulf Cup in Jeddah presents an opportunity to continue this success and boost morale.
Al-Balushi stated that achieving positive results in this tournament is a given, as the Gulf Cup holds a special significance, and the fans will not accept defeat or early elimination. He pointed out that what distinguishes our national team is its superior performance in group tournaments, where it adapts to the demands of the occasion and its technical level improves.
" This tournament marks the first official participation for Moroccan coach Tariq Sektioui, the head coach of our national football team, and may also be the first for some of the players. The team possesses talented players capable of achieving a new milestone for Omani football, which necessitates their full participation."
" The internal training camp held prior to the start of the league was crucial for physical conditioning and allowed the coach to closely observe the players. He added that after several rounds of the league, the players will reach a high level of physical and technical readiness before the tournament."
" The importance of placing complete trust in the coach and his technical staff, understanding that they are determined to win, bring joy, and maintain the high standards for which the team is known."
Al-Balushi pointed out that the national team possesses many experienced players and a suitable number of promising young talents seeking success.
He noted that the greatest responsibility for leading the team rests on the shoulders of the experienced players and those playing professionally abroad, to demonstrate the benefits of their professional experience.
He added that the team boasts players with both experience and professional backgrounds.
Al-Balushi explained that the coach has ample opportunity to select the right players for this tournament and, with his experience, can manage them effectively, enabling them to give their all and blend experience with youth to create the balance he desires, based on his convictions and choices.
He stated that the three matches in the first round represent the anticipated milestone and the gateway to qualification. Therefore, each match must be approached individually, as the schedule was announced several months ago and the timing is compressed, a situation that applies to all participating teams. This necessitates preparedness for all eventualities, from fatigue and recovery to physical and mental readiness and the pressures involved.
For his part, former international player Ismail Al-Ajmi stressed that the national team faces a great challenge with the presence of a new technical staff led by Tariq Al-Saktiwi, especially since the Omani team is in the same group as the Saudi team, which has been without the title for a long time.
Al-Ajmi stated that the 27th edition of the tournament will not be easy, as the national team coach is still in the process of testing players, developing his ideas, and implementing the techniques he wants to adopt. He emphasized that this requires time, matches, and competitions to allow the team to gain a deeper understanding, considering this one of the biggest challenges.
Following this, there was no final touch to the preparations for the tournament, but it was noted that the Omani national team has overcome the psychological hurdle in such events and has gained a presence, experience, and expertise at the tournament level.
National team president Nasser Al Hajri clarified that the team's readiness is not limited to the technical aspects alone; it has proven successful in developing its tactical ideas.
He indicated that the preparation period may be sufficient once the right approach is adopted, stressing the importance of entering the tournament with a sense of certainty, especially since the Gulf Cup is a demanding tournament.
He explained that the team possesses important elements for competition, including a wealth of experience, and that some players are eager to adapt to the new dynamics, in addition to their distinguished performance in Gulf tournaments. In addition, the final and the second title require a strong and effective defensive organization to counter the attack and capitalize on opportunities, with a focus on the overall performance level of the match.
Regarding addressing past mistakes, he pointed out that the first step is to acknowledge them and analyze their causes, rather than simply looking at their results, and to emphasize the importance of developing defensive organization, reducing individual errors, and improving transitions and effectiveness in front of the goal.
He stressed the importance of balancing experience and youth, explaining that experienced players bring composure and leadership to the team, while young players add enthusiasm, energy, and desire.
He emphasized that the selection criteria should be the player's readiness and ability to contribute to the team, regardless of age.
Sports journalist Ahmed Al-Salmani said that the national team's coaching staff, led by Tariq Al-Saktiwi, had enough time to prepare for the tournament, and that the team seemed physically ready, but needed to undergo more and stronger trials to reach the required technical readiness.
He pointed out that the two friendlies against Indonesia and Mozambique are not enough, in his estimation, to form a complete picture for the coach of all the players and their capabilities, in addition to the fact that the players’ understanding of a new coach’s ideas and style of play requires a larger number of matches.
He explained that the Gulf Cup has its own unique character and isn't always governed by technical superiority or pre-tournament predictions. He added that the national team possesses considerable experience in handling its atmosphere, having reached the final six times, which gives the players and Omani fans unwavering confidence in the team's ability to compete and go far.
He expressed his optimism regarding coach Tariq Al-Saktiwi, who has a competitive personality and experience managing tournaments. He pointed out that match management, attention to detail, and a good understanding of opponents are among the most important factors for success in a short tournament like the Gulf Cup.
Regarding addressing mistakes, he said that the coaching staff understands the importance of physical conditioning and raising fitness levels to maintain focus throughout the match, as physical decline often leads to errors, especially in the final minutes.
He added that the coach's remarks in his recent press conference indicate his desire to also use the Gulf Cup to build a more competitive team for the Asian Cup, making the tournament an opportunity to evaluate players, address mistakes, and solidify tactical plans.
He emphasized that the coach found himself needing to retain experienced players while implementing a gradual and well-planned transition, explaining that the Gulf Cup and the Asian Cup require the energy of youth combined with the experience of players accustomed to pressure and high-stakes matches.
Our national team will begin its campaign in the tournament against Iraq on September 23, followed by a match against the host nation, Saudi Arabia, on September 26. The group stage will conclude with a match against Kuwait on September 29.
The list that was called up to represent the national team in the tournament included: in goal, Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini, Ahmed Al-Rawahi and Ibrahim Al-Rajhi, and the rest of the names, Harib Al-Saadi, Khalid Al-Buraiki, Abdulmajid Al-Balushi, Mohsen Al-Ghasani, Jamil Al-Yahmedi, Ahmed Al-Kaabi, Amjad Al-Harthi, Abdullah Fawaz, Zaher Al-Aghbari, Musab Al-Shaqsi, Ghanem Al-Habshi, Essam Al-Subhi, Nasser Al-Rawahi, Ahed Al-Mashaikhi, Sultan Al-Marzouq, Khalid Al-Ghatrifi, Abdulhafiz Al-Mukhaini, Turki Beit Rabee, Yousef Al-Maliki, Hussein Al-Shahri, Al-Harith Al-Mukhaini, Arshad Al-Alawi and Waleed Al-Musallami.
