Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Pattaya: Oman head coach Talib Hilal will rely on a mixture of new and experienced players when his team contends at the AFC Beach Soccer Championship Thailand 2019.
The West Asian side are drawn in a difficult group where they face defending champions Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq in Group D.
Hilal expects a strong challenge from his opponents but remains optimistic that his side will pull through the group stage.
“We have 15 teams and there are no weak teams. Any team has a chance to qualify for the next stage. We are in a three-team group and it is very difficult because we are playing against Iran and Iraq,” said Hilal.
“Iran is a strong team but my team is also strong. We’ve played against Iran on so many different occasions and the outcome is always separated by a small margin. Iraq is also a good team and they have the experienced Karim Moghadam as their coach now.”
Hilal is confident the addition of new talents will give his team an extra edge as they aim to improve on their result in the AFC Beach Soccer Championship Malaysia 2017.