"Sail on!" - the Omani dream has just begun to materialise

Oman. An interesting Arab country in the Gulf region. It's a Muslim nation, albeit of a different sect that has no alignment with either Shiite or Sunni. It's also a nation that is mentioned in the famous tale of Sinbad the Sailor. It's also renowned for its cultural diversity that set them apart from the rest of its Gulf brethren. Moreover, it has been practising peaceful diplomacy, trying to solve the problems of regional conflicts. The Omanis also set aside by being the biggest difference: they learn to develop everything, by themselves, instead of seeking foreigners to do their jobs.

This is also quite true with the Omani team. The Omani football team has been mostly a small team in the past, but from the 1990s, Omani officials began a series of concrete moves with the hope to be more recognised on the Asian football stage, starting with its youth teams, the most successful being the U-17 team. Following the U-17 Oman's achievements, many of these youngsters were also introduced into the senior squad and formed the basis of the future Omani side that qualified for the final round of the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, before making its debut in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. Since then, Oman's football has only grown more successful, winning the 2009 Gulf Cup after beating Saudi Arabia on penalties, before repeating the feat in the 2017 edition. Oman has later managed an even more successful 2019 AFC Asian Cup when Oman reached the knockout phase for the first time ever.

Oman's successes also came with the rise of its football prestige, when Ali Al-Habsi became the first Arab Gulf footballer to play in the English Premier League for Wigan. Its football development has been strongly influenced by the likes of teaching methods from the Netherlands, Germany and England.

The upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification final round will be the country's third appearance in this stage. Though Oman has never qualified for a World Cup, it seems possible for Oman to make a surprise. Oman was drawn into a tough group, having to face the likes of Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia, but that doesn't mean Oman is afraid of them. Oman, in recent years, has played better football and caused much hardship for Japan, while it used to make fears for Australia and Saudi Arabia, the latter shares common culture with Oman. If Oman knows where it should perform, it is highly that Oman can compete for a third-place finish. However, Oman needs to remember that while they can surprise Australia, Saudi Arabia and Japan, it is clear that Oman will need at least twelve points from China and Vietnam, and these teams aren't easy either. China has experiences with this stage far better than Oman and is not afraid of playing away from home in the sand of West Asia. Vietnam, though regarded weakest, can still represent a potential danger on Vietnamese soil, Oman has shown its weaknesses when playing away from home in recent years, in particular following the retirement of Al-Habsi. Moreover, Oman, in the second round, had only faced Qatar as the strongest opponent; India, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are not strong enough to make any major challenge.

Still, under the Croatian manager Branko Ivanković, Oman assembles a relatively united squad, combined between veterans and new blood. Muhsin Al-Ghassani, Arshad Al-Alawi and Abdullah Fawaz, the three newest discoveries, have demonstrated their capabilities for Oman, working in perfect harmony with Ali Al-Busaidi and Mohammed Al-Musalami, two veteran defenders. On the other hand, Oman has been revamping, with most of its players are young, only a few of them are above 30. Many of them have proven worthiness from what happened in the second round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Overall, Oman is facing a real test that will be very different from the second round, and there is something that must be done. Ivanković may have guided Iran to World Cup, but not sure about the case of Oman. It's easier said than done, and it is up for Oman on a must-do deal. Either winning, or either wasting it.