One final push for Cup glory

WITH just the Saudis standing between them and the maiden Gulf Cup crown, the Omanis are readying themselves for one final assault to capture the coveted Cup at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex tomorrow. Though all the talk is about getting ‘third time lucky at home’, the past experiences have not been completely forgotten. It was a case of ‘so near yet so far’ in the last two editions when dame luck favoured the then hosts, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2005 and 2007 respectively, shattering the Sultanate’s dreams for their first title triumph. While in Doha, the Omanis were denied in a cruel penalty shootout, two years later in Abu Dhabi it was the turn of Ismail Mattar who with a moment of brilliance led his nation to their maiden crown. This time around, the Omanis — hosting the Gulf region’s premier soccer championship for the third time — are ready to give everything to avoid that tag of the ‘second best team’ and bring joy to a soccer-crazy nation that has been waiting long for the Gulf Cup glory. So far the Oman squad have lived up to the expectations of their fans and themselves, with one remarkable performance after another, humbling one formidable team after another en route to their third successive final. The Omanis have so far been simply unstoppable thanks to the tactical acumen of their French coach and their own ability to adopt to his plans, and not to forget their supporters who have been filling the SQSC stadium to the brim every time their heroes came out to take on their rivals. Though it should be mentioned that Oman squad haven’t made a dream to the championship when playing in the inaugural match, against nine-time champions Kuwait, they settled for a dour goalless draw. But they raised their game in the next match, thanks to a pep talk by Le Roy who exhorted them to play flowing soccer with free spirit. And the results were there to see as they outplayed Asian champions Iraq with four unanswered goals and from then on there was no looking back. And in the final and crucial Group ‘A’ match, Le Roy’s boys clinically destroyed Milan Macala-trained Bahrainis for a 2-0 verdict to top the group. In the semifinal, they exacted sweet revenge overcoming the team that denied them the title in Doha and the coach who plotted their fall in Abu Dhabi with a solitary goal victory over Qatar. Now it’s the turn of the Saudis. Though the hosts are confident and have the advantage of fans backing, they cannot afford to take their formidable rivals lightly. The pressure will definitely be there on the Omanis, whose coach has already cautioned them to put the semifinal victory celebrations on hold and get ready for the pressure of the big match. Coach Le Roy, however, knowing the importance of the occasion, has declared a ‘free day’ for the players allowing them to meet their families and mingle with their friends at the Al Bustan Hotel yesterday. The Oman Football Association has also took the opportunity to host a luncheon in honour of the team at the hotel with chairman Sayyid Khalid al Busaidy leading the party. The relaxing day and encouraging words from officials would have taken all the pressure off the players. And now a refreshed Oman squad look forward for the Saudi challenge in search of elusive crown. -- Source: Oman Observer